It achieved good things, I got through an entire Edwardian period drama, it must have. Full praise must go to Scully and Terence Davies but really, these are such silly people and I just can't get behind Pre-WWI manners at all. For all those blinded Downton Abbey fans I assume.

The kind of period piece that reminds us why they're still made. Transforms boring ol' Edith Wharton into a complex, intensely rewarding dissection that, while I debated once, actually has a reticent, bold, social relevance today. Well acted, especially by Anderson and Stoltz, who play parts so unlike their usual forte, you may be able to drift through the film merely on admiration of these modern actors doing some serious work. An absolutely magnificent film.

It achieved good things, I got through an entire Edwardian period drama, it must have. Full praise must go to Scully and Terence Davies but really, these are such silly people and I just can't get behind Pre-WWI manners at all. For all those blinded Downton Abbey fans I assume.

Feels especially timely after the last few years, but also the only time a Davies film has felt uninspired visually at times. It's not that the camerawork and slow fades weren't spectacular; it's that it felt a bit like Terence Davies does Masterpiece Theatre. Still, it's well-acted and heartbreaking.

3.5 out of 5 (B)