It is a slow moving film. That is the first thing you need to know about it. Part of that problem is a script that is too subtle in parts, and the result is that any invigorating action drains away. Cécile, for example, plots to get her father out of Anne's clutches; yet the attempt doesn't resound in the way that it should. Raymond is, all of a sudden, in love with Anne -- how did that happen?
Another problem arising from the script is the depiction of Elsa. She is, in the novel and in the earlier film adaptation, supposed to be flightly and vain. Not now. She comes across as the most grounded and sincere person in the film, and that throws the entire balance off. How could Raymond (who is supposed to be a playboy but is, here, depicted as a likeable, carefree man) toss her over for the stolid Anne?
And Chloe Sevigny, playing Anne, seems to be doing her best to channel Geraldine Page in Interiors (a part and a movie I loved). She's too old and matronly and clunky for the part. Put her next to Elsa and you wonder what's wrong with Raymond. And there is zero chemistry between the two. Nada. None. I think that Sevigny took the part because Anne is all about fashion and style, as is Sevigny in real life.
These problems aside, it's a lovely film to watch. While the three principals are dull, the supporting cast (Elsa, Cyril, and other minor roles) more than make up for it. The direction is stunning (though, yes, it could have been better edited, if only to move the proceedings along). Perhaps it might be a good idea to watch the original first (though I can't imagine David Niven as being anyone's idea of a playboy).
