Oscar and Lucinda Review
by Scott Renshaw (renshaw AT inconnect DOT com)February 1st, 1998
OSCAR AND LUCINDA
(Fox Searchlight)
Starring: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Clive Russell.
Screenplay: Laura Jones, based on the novel by Peter Carey. Producers: Robin Dalton and Timothy White.
Director: Gillian Armstrong.
MPAA Rating: R (sexual situations, violence, profanity)
Running Time: 132 minutes.
Reviewed by Scott Renshaw.
I suppose you could call OSCAR AND LUCINDA perfectly successful to this extent: I was genuinely fascinated by these two characters, and invested in seeing them happy together. Based on the novel by Peter Carey, it tells the story of two souls whose destinies collide in Victorian-era Australia. Oscar Hopkins (Ralph Finnes) is a reclusive, penniless divinity student; Lucinda Leplastrier (Cate Blanchett) is a high-spirited heiress who invests in a glassworks factory. Though their backgrounds are in some ways completely opposite, they share one important hobby in common: both are compulsive gamblers. Each finds that wagering provides a daring sense of release which nothing else in their proscribed lives can provide, leading to an instant connection when they meet on board a ship to Australia.
The respective performances of Fiennes and Blanchett are certainly impressive -- Fiennes the timid holy man with toussled hair and stammering speech, Blanchett the "proud square peg" in a world of round holes. When the come together, however, the chemistry is nothing short of intoxicating. The scenes in which they meet to share furtive games of cards take on the feel of illicit sexual encounters, eyes wild with a sense of abandon and discovery. No screen pairing of the year offered more promise for fascinating interaction.
What an absolute pity that the narrative divides Oscar and Lucinda almost as soon as they are united. Convinced that Lucinda carries a torch for a missionary minister (Ciaran Hinds), Oscar sets off on a fool's errand to prove his devotion to Lucinda, leading an overground party to bring a pre-fabricated glass church to a remote location in the Outback. His increasingly feverish quest provides opportunities for some spectacular shots by cinematographer Geoffrey Simpson, including lingering views of the glass church floating down a river on a barge. It's just terribly frustrating knowing that these two characters are hanging around in the same movie, but not in the same scenes. An interest in the fate of their relationship may keep you watching, but it will also keep you fidgeting. On the page, I can see this story being an engrossing, heart-breaking page-turner. On the screen, with two great performances giving a spark to the rare moments these characters are together, OSCAR AND LUCINDA becomes a beautifully filmed and splendidly acted tease.
On the Renshaw scale of 0 to 10 riverboat gambles: 7.
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