By and large, most screen adaptations of Henry James' celebrated novels have fared poorly at the box-office and The Portrait of a Lady, director Jane Campion's much anticipated follow-up to The Piano, is not destined to be the exception to the rule. Written by James in 1881 and adapted here by Laura Jones, the story, set in late 19th century Europe, focuses on one Isabel Archer (Nicole Kidman), a headstrong but naive young American who is forced to confront some of life's harsh realities when she is inveigled into marrying a self-serving and devious dilettante played by John Malcovich. Though crafted to perfection in its exquisite period design, the film ploughs through the dense jungle of James' decorous prose with an air of detachment that, frame for frame, remains every bit as distancing as Kidman's cold impassive gaze. Heartless.
