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The Portrait of a Lady

Play trailer Poster for The Portrait of a Lady PG-13 Released Dec 24, 1996 2h 24m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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47% Tomatometer 74 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Ms. Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill father's will. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the world, along the way befriending a cynical intellectual (Barbara Hershey) and romancing an art enthusiast (John Malkovich). However, the advantage of her affluence is called into question when she realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships.
The Portrait of a Lady

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Beautiful, indulgently heady, and pretentious, The Portrait of a Lady paints Campion's directorial shortcomings in too bright a light.

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Critics Reviews

View All (74) Critics Reviews
David Ansen Newsweek This claustrophobic Portrait of a Lady is the kind of failure only a very gifted filmmaker could make: like it or not, it haunts you. Dec 7, 2018 Full Review Desson Thomson Washington Post Portrait feels like an elegant party, full of attractive people, beautiful finery and tremendous music (from Wojiech Kilar), yet no excitement. And no matter how many times you revisit the place, it never gets better. Oct 27, 2018 Full Review Todd McCarthy Variety This is a film that appeals to the head far more than to the heart, making for a portrait that seems somewhat less than complete. Oct 27, 2018 Full Review Joe Flockhart Loud and Clear Reviews The Portrait of a Lady is a measured, intelligent film that does not fit expectations of a simple book-to-film adaptation. Campion’s direction is confident and the liberties she takes only strengthen the film’s emotional resonance. Rated: 4.5/5 Jan 1, 2025 Full Review Justine Smith Vague Visages Campion excels at revealing the elements that men don’t see in themselves that women find appealing, while also turning the tables and revealing the darkness of a society where men are always right. Jun 6, 2024 Full Review Josh Larsen LarsenOnFilm Campion makes an unruly costume drama out of the 1881 novel by Henry James. Rated: 3/4 Oct 12, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (201) audience reviews
Maria L I've probably seen this film 50 times since it first came out. I think it's exquisite Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/24 Full Review Audience Member This film has amazing cinematography and is well-acted but the direction does not reveal the frankly mystifying motivations of, and actions taken by, the central characters Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/11/23 Full Review steve d A pretentious and often boring script lets down it's actors. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member Campion's version of the novel by Henry James left me with mixed feelings. The visuals are beautiful. At times the movie can be intense and make you emotionally invested in the characters to the point of being moved. Nicole Kidman's portrayal of Isabel is very convincing, as are Barbara Hershey's Madame Merle and Martin Donovan's Ralph. The main problem to me was in the nature of Campion's reinterpretation. Since I thought that the best part of the book was its brilliant analysis of the characters' psyche I didn't appreciate too much their strong sexualization, which took away from them their tridimensional depth and also weakened my sympathy. In the novel Isabel is an independent, strong-willed, clever young woman looking for adventure and intense experiences. She wants to live her life fully, to explore it in reality after she has observed it through other people and books. That's why she doesn't want to be married - above all things she values the freedom only recently gained thanks to her aunt's offer to introduce her in society. However, in the movie the traits that should be essential for Isabel's personality are only talked about briefly in the beginning, but are never shown. Then, they seem to be forgotten completely and Isabel becomes a sexually repressed woman who doesn't know what she wants and subsequently falls victim of Madame Merle and Osmond's plot. Also, characters such as Lord Warburton, Caspar Goodwood and Henrietta, who are important both for Isabel's life and to define her character, are merely extras, a fact that I found surprising considering how long and slow the movie is. I came to the conclusion that, had it be more faithful to the novel's nature, which is not erotic but psychological, human, with these visuals and this well chosen cast the movie would have been aesthetically beautiful and also relevant in the content. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member The tone of James' classic novel is lost in Campion's new age feminist blubber. Some of the performances are a saving grace with Barbara Hershey as a standout. Nicole Kidman doesn't seem to have Isabel within her grasp and Malkovich's moustache twirling villain is so over the top that he seems ready to tie the audience to a train track at any given moment. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I don't remember the novel well enough to say if this was a good adaptation. I I found the movie interesting though drawn out, with some innovative filming bits in it. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/14/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Portrait of a Lady

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Movie Info

Synopsis Ms. Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman) isn't afraid to challenge societal norms. Impressed by her free spirit, her kindhearted cousin writes her into his fatally ill father's will. Suddenly rich and independent, Isabelle ventures into the world, along the way befriending a cynical intellectual (Barbara Hershey) and romancing an art enthusiast (John Malkovich). However, the advantage of her affluence is called into question when she realizes the extent to which her money colors her relationships.
Director
Jane Campion
Producer
Steve Golin, Monty Montgomery, Mark Turnbull
Screenwriter
Laura Jones
Distributor
Gramercy Pictures
Production Co
Propaganda Films, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Rating
PG-13
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 24, 1996, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 1, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.7M
Runtime
2h 24m
Sound Mix
Surround