Witherspoon Brilliant; "Vanity" Fair

Based on the classic novel by William Mackpeace Thackeray, “Vanity Fair” is a sumptuous historical epic spanning more than a quarter of a century. Indian directory Mira Nair, fresh off the wondrous “Monsoon Wedding,” is an inspired choice to helm this period piece infusing it with much of the cluttered and clashing social and cultural chaos striking England during this time. But Thackeray’s book is a sprawling, multi-character story full of subplots that weave complexly into Becky’s central arc. While perfectly cast and filmed with an exquisite eye for detail, Nair has trouble balancing all of these subplots, the final third of “Vanity Fair” a cluttered mess rushing far too quickly to conclusion.

Let’s leave that aside for the time being and start with what works, most notably Witherspoon. Joining forces with Nair is a lusty revolution for the young starlet. Her Becky is a smart, sexy firecracker of a woman, fiercely determined to change her lot in life. Unafraid to love or be loved, she uses all wiles at her disposal, even if the cost of doing so might be the loss of the one true love of her life, dashing soldier (and heir to his aunt’s fortune) Rawdon Crawley (James Purefoy). Witherspoon shares a snappy, painfully sensual chemistry with Purefoy (who, incidentally, has never been this good in an American production), their love blistering and believable even as it hurtles towards an unavoidable collision of ideals. Never has the actress seemed this lusty, this womanly, on film. It is an adult performance full of subtle nuance and surprising depth ranking as one of the best I’ve seen this year.

Too be completely honest, the first third – nearly the first two-thirds – of “Vanity Fair” is brilliantly constructed. From Becky’s journey to the rundown estate of the dingy, if kindhearted, Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins) to her commandeering the friendship of the rich and influential Aunt Matilda (a simply brilliant Eileen Atkins), these early scenes are to be treasured. I also loved Becky’s relationship with the mysterious Marquess of Steyne (Gabriel Byrne); a friendship bordering on the prostitutional and one that will lead her to realize whole-heartedly the price societal rise has cost.

One of the picture’s most notable highlights is Becky’s first foray into the world of the privileged, thanks to school-days friend Amelia Sedley (Romala Garai). It is at her home Rebecca first lays eyes on three of the most important men in her life; the upright – and in love with Amelia – soldier Dobbin (Rhys Ifans), his compatriot – and Amelia’s fiancé – the smarmy and indiscrete George Osborn (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) and, finally, the gentle and befuddled Joseph Sedley (Tony Maudsley). A British envoy to India in charge of much of day-to-day life in the colony, Joseph will be the first, but not the last, to break Becky’s heart and it is from him she first learns the fickle nature of class status in English society. Full of colors, sights, sounds and images seldom seen in today, this cacophony of culture and emotion is all the more striking for the look of subtle despair on Witherspoon’s face upon learning of Joseph’s timidity.

The thing is, neither Nair nor Oscar-winning screenwriter Julian Fellowes (working from Matthew Faulk and Mark Sweet’s original treatment) can wrap things together into a cohesive package. Thackeray’s story covers ground from the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805 to Napoleon’s exile to Elba in 1814 to the British abolition of slavery in 1833. Various subplots include the machinations of Lady Southdown (Geraldine McEwan) to turn Matilda against Rawdon, Dobbin’s attempts to clandestinely woo a distraught Amelia, Sir Pitt proposing to Becky, the heat of Hundred Days War, Mr. Osborne’s (Jim Broadbent) disowning of his son George and many, many more. People get married, have children, die and make postpartum decisions effecting the lives of everyone. Yet many times these happen off screen and with such abruptness the effect is jarring. Just as soon as I latched on to one subplot and became emotionally involved, Nair and Fellowes quickly move on somewhere else, sometimes forgetting to bring these prior proceedings to any sort of satisfying conclusion.

Still, with a cast this good and production value so inspiring “Vanity Fair” is a hard movie to let go of. Nair gets this era of British history spot-on showcasing a collision of cultures brought about by English imperialism. Rooms are filled with colors and styles stretching from North Africa to China to India and this gives the movie a look and texture distinctly all its own. Production Designer Maria Djurkovic has outdone herself, and working in tandem with Costume Designer Beatrix Aruna Pasztor and Cinematographer Declan Quinn I haven’t seen a better looking film all year.