The Aspern Papers (film)

Last updated

The Aspern Papers
Directed by Julien Landais
Screenplay byJulien Landais, Jean Pavans, Hannah Bhuiya
Based on The Aspern Papers
by Henry James
Produced byGabriela Bacher, Julien Landais, Prince Charles-Henri de Lobkowicz
Starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers
Joely Richardson
Vanessa Redgrave
CinematographyPhilippe Guilbert
Edited byHansjörg Weissbrich
Music byVincent Carlo
Distributed byCohen Media (US, Canada)
Release date
  • 30 August 2018 (2018-08-30)(Venice Film Festival)
Running time
90 minutes [1]
CountriesUnited Kingdom
Germany
LanguageEnglish

The Aspern Papers is a 2018 period drama, co-written, co-produced and directed by Julien Landais, based on Jean Pavans' scenic adaptation of Henry James' eponymous 1888 novel. [2] [3] The film stars Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, [4] Joely Richardson and Vanessa Redgrave; Academy Award-winner James Ivory acting as executive producer. [5] [6]

Contents

Plot

Set in Venice in the late 19th century and based on Henry James' novella of the same name,The Aspern Papers is a story of obsession, grandeur lost, and dreams of Byronesque adventures.

Ambitious editor Morton Vint is fascinated by the Romantic poet Jeffrey Aspern and by his icon's short and wildly romantic life. Having travelled from America to Venice, he is determined to get his hands on the letters Aspern wrote to his beautiful lover and muse, Juliana Bordereau.

Now the ferocious guardian of their secrets, Juliana lives in a grand but rather dilapidated Venetian palazzo with her niece, Miss Tina. Posing as prospective lodger, Morton charms Miss Tina, who leads a very quiet life dominated by her aunt. At first hiding his real intentions, he eventually confesses his true passion to Miss Tina. She reluctantly agrees to help him.

But Juliana is suspicious of Morton, and a confrontation between the two of them shows how frail the strong-willed old lady actually is. Morton flees the house. When he returns, he learns of Juliana's death. Miss Tina is now willing to share the infamous letters with him, but the condition she sets is one that Morton finds he cannot fulfill, after all.

Deeply ashamed by the rejection, Tina overcomes her embarrassment and hurt and finds an unknown inner strength. When Morton reconsiders his decision, she confronts him with a revelation. [7]

Cast

Release

The Aspern Papers was first screened at the 2018 Venice Film Festival. [8] It was selected as the opening film with world premiere at 49th International Film Festival in Goa. [9]

Reception

The film holds a 19% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from a total of 26 reviews, indicating strong dislike. [10] Several critics lamented the film's sluggishness; John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "more lifeless than its namesake's long-dead body," [11] while David Lewis of the San Francisco Chronicle labeled it "a Merchant-Ivory film - on Quaaludes," [12] giving it 1 out of 4 stars. Many critics considered the performance from Jonathan Rhys-Meyers to be one of the picture's worst aspects; writing for Slant Magazine, Keith Watson said:

"Rhys-Meyers is absurdly unconvincing throughout. With his gratingly thin American accent, stilted line readings, and rigid, glowering facial expressions, the actor demonstrates all the range and emotional depth of Derek Zoolander. He evokes none of Vint’s intelligence or passion, rendering him instead a dull, hectoring cipher." [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanessa Redgrave</span> British actress (born 1937)

Dame Vanessa Redgrave is an English actress. Throughout her career spanning over six decades, Redgrave has garnered numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards and an Olivier Award, making her one of the few performers to achieve the Triple Crown of Acting. She has also received various honorary awards, including the BAFTA Fellowship Award, the Golden Lion Honorary Award, and an induction into the American Theatre Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franco Nero</span> Italian actor (born 1941)

Francesco Clemente Giuseppe Sparanero, known professionally as Franco Nero, is an Italian actor, producer, and director. His breakthrough role was as the title character in the Spaghetti Western film Django (1966), which made him a pop culture icon and launched an international career that includes over 200 leading and supporting roles in a wide variety of films and television productions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonathan Rhys Meyers</span> Irish actor (born 1977)

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is an Irish actor. He is known for his roles in the films Michael Collins (1996), Velvet Goldmine (1998), Titus (1999), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Alexander (2004), Match Point (2005), Mission: Impossible III (2006) and his television roles as Elvis Presley in the biographical miniseries Elvis (2005), for which he won a Golden Globe Award and earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination, as King Henry VIII in the historical drama The Tudors (2007–10), which earned him two Golden Globe Award nominations, and in the NBC drama series Dracula (2013–14) as the title character. He also starred as Bishop Heahmund, a character inspired by the Catholic Saint of the same name, in the History Channel television series Vikings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Ivory</span> American film director (born 1928)

James Francis Ivory is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was a principal in Merchant Ivory Productions along with Indian film producer Ismail Merchant and screenwriter Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. The trio is known for making film adaptations of stories by authors such as E.M. Forster and Henry James.Their body of work is celebrated for its elegance, sophistication, literary fidelity, strong performances, complex themes, and rich characters.

<i>The Aspern Papers</i> 1888 Novella by Henry James

The Aspern Papers is a novella by American writer Henry James, originally published in The Atlantic Monthly in 1888, with its first book publication later in the same year. One of James's best-known and most acclaimed longer tales, The Aspern Papers is based on the letters Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote to Mary Shelley's stepsister, Claire Clairmont, who saved them until she died. Set in Venice, The Aspern Papers demonstrates James's ability to generate suspense while never neglecting the development of his characters.

<i>The Bostonians</i> (film) 1984 film based on the novel by Henry James

The Bostonians is a 1984 historical romance drama film directed by James Ivory. The screenplay by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala is based on the 1886 American novel The Bostonians by Henry James. The film stars Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Reeve, Madeleine Potter, and Jessica Tandy.

<i>The Lost Moment</i> 1947 film by Martin Gabel

The Lost Moment is a 1947 American melodramatic psychological thriller film with elements of horror directed by Martin Gabel and starring Robert Cummings, Susan Hayward and Agnes Moorehead.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barbara Meier</span> German fashion model and actress (born 1986)

Barbara Meier is a German fashion model and actress. She is best known as the winner of the second season of Germany's Next Topmodel.

The Richard Harris Award for Outstanding Contribution by an Actor is a British Independent Film Award that is given to the actor or actress whom the academy feels has contributed highly to British films throughout their career. The award was introduced at the 2003 ceremony.

The Good Neighbour is a 2011 German drama/thriller film directed by Stephan Rick. It premiered in competition at the 2011 Shanghai International Film Festival and was screened at the 2011 Montreal World Film Festival and the Hof International Film Festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poppy Delevingne</span> English model (born 1986)

Poppy Angela Delevingne is an English socialite, actress and model.

<i>Dracula</i> (2013 TV series) British-American television drama

Dracula is a horror drama television series. The series, a reimagining of Bram Stoker's 1897 novel Dracula, was produced by London-based Carnival Films; it aired in the United States on NBC and in the United Kingdom on Sky Living from 25 October 2013, to 24 January 2014. It was created by Cole Haddon and Daniel Knauf, while Daniel Knauf served as showrunner and head writer.

The Aspern Papers is a 1987 opera in two acts with music and libretto by Dominick Argento, commissioned by The Dallas Opera. It is based on the novella The Aspern Papers by Henry James. The opera premiered on November 19, 1988, in Dallas with a cast including Elisabeth Söderström, Frederica von Stade, and Richard Stilwell, conducted by Nicola Rescigno. The premiere was telecast in the United States on Great Performances on PBS.

<i>The Secret Scripture</i> (film) 2016 Irish film

The Secret Scripture is an Irish film, directed by Jim Sheridan from a screenplay by Sheridan and Johnny Ferguson, which is based on the 2008 novel of the same name by Sebastian Barry. The film stars Vanessa Redgrave, Rooney Mara, Eric Bana, Theo James, Aidan Turner, and Jack Reynor.

<i>American Night</i> 2021 Italian film

American Night is a 2021 neo-noir film written and directed by Alessio Della Valle, in his directorial debut. It stars Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Emile Hirsch, Jeremy Piven, Paz Vega and Michael Madsen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Julien Landais</span> French filmmaker, actor, and model (born 1981)

Pierre-Alexandre Thomas Julien Landais is a French film director, actor, producer and model, best known for The Aspern Papers, his feature film adaptation of Henry James' novel starring Jonathan Rhys-Meyers, Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean Pavans</span> French writer and translator (born 1949)

Jean Pavans is a French writer and translator, born in Tunis on September 20, 1949.

<i>Georgetown</i> (film) 2020 American film by Christoph Waltz

Georgetown is a 2019 American crime drama film directed by Christoph Waltz and written by David Auburn. It is based on Franklin Foer's 2012 New York Times Magazine article "The Worst Marriage in Georgetown", which details the 2011 murder of 91-year-old socialite Viola Herms Drath by her much-younger second husband in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Waltz stars alongside Vanessa Redgrave, Annette Bening and Corey Hawkins.

Prince Marie Charles-Henri Hugues Xavier Benoît Michel Edouard Joseph Balthazar de Lobkowicz is a French nobleman and member of the House of Lobkowicz.

References

  1. ↑ "The Aspern Papers". Regal Cinemas . Retrieved 30 December 2018.
  2. ↑ Mitchell, Robert (15 February 2018). "ARRI Media Boards Henry James Adaptation 'The Aspern Papers'". Variety. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  3. ↑ McNary, Dave (4 August 2017). "Jonathan Rhys Meyers Joins Vanessa Redgrave in Period Drama 'The Aspern Papers'". Variety. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  4. ↑ N'Duka, Amanda (4 August 2017). "Jonathan Rhys Meyers To Star In 'The Aspern Papers'". Deadline. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "City of Florence Honors James Ivory at 'Room With a View' 30-Year Anniversary". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "The Aspern Papers". Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Aspern Papers : Current Highlights : International : ARRI Media". www.arrimedia.de (in German). Retrieved 31 March 2018.
  8. ↑ Anderson, Ariston (13 August 2018). "Venice to Debut 'The Aspern Papers' Alongside Vanessa Redgrave's Golden Lion Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 13 December 2018.
  9. ↑ "IFFI to open with world premiere of 'The Aspern Papers'". The Hindu. 15 November 2018. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 3 March 2019.
  10. ↑ "The Aspern Papers (2018)", Rotten Tomatoes , Fandango , retrieved 30 October 2021
  11. ↑ "'The Aspern Papers': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. 10 January 2019. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  12. ↑ Lewis, David (9 January 2019). "'The Aspern Papers' starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers a dud in Venice". Datebook. Retrieved 24 April 2019.
  13. ↑ Watson, Keith (7 January 2019). "Review: The Aspern Papers". Slant Magazine . Retrieved 24 April 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.