If you're looking for exquisite and colorful costuming as well as artful cinematography featuring beautiful scenery and pretty people, director Mira Nair's "Vanity Fair" fits the bill. With respect to the storyline, which deviates slightly but rather destructively to the allure of the tale, the film had little to be vain about.
Set in 19th century London, the film is centered on young, beautiful, impoverished-but-witty Becky Sharp (Reese Witherspoon), whose sole desire is to break into the snobby high society by whatever means possible. She becomes friends with the wealthy Amelia Sedley (Romola Garai), a sweet girl who is affianced to the handsome but self-centered George Osbourne (Jonathan Rhys-Meyers).
Becky takes a job as governess for the dirty and disheveled Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins) and manages to make friends with his unconventional sister Aunt Matilda (Eileen Atkins). Aunt Matilda praises Becky for her sharp wit and cleverness and invites Becky to live with her in London. Unfortunately, Becky falls out of favor with the wealthy woman when she elopes with Aunt Matilda's nephew, and Sir Pitt's son, Rawdon Crawley (James Purefoy).
Garai plays the role of stupid-but-sweet good girl Amelia (opposite clever-but-ruthless Becky) very well. Rhys-Meyers is believably hateful as the snobby merchant's son, Hoskins and Atkins provide the entirety of the film's comedic capabilities, and Purefoy is wonderful as the dashing soldier who represents the inability to tame Becky's lust for societal status. Unfortunately, even with their great acting abilities, the stellar cast is not quite able to save this film.
Nair makes a valiant effort, tantalizing the audience with lavishly magnificent costumes, exquisite set-designs and generally sumptuous cinematography that capitalize on the seductive allure of India (supervising artistic director Nick Palmer deserves a raise). Even the actual scripting the bickering banter, the clever witticisms are impressive and quite charismatic, keeping the audience's attention even throughout the tediousness that corresponds to two and a half hour movies.
However, the way in which film Becky differs from book Becky is quite unsatisfying. Becky is not meant to be understood or sympathized with. Thackeray's Becky is amoral, fierce and egocentric. Nair and Witherspoon's Becky isn't half the woman -- she simply "finds herself" in horrid positions. Thackeray's "Vanity Fair" is subtitled "A Novel Without a Hero" for a reason -- we aren't supposed to love Becky or relate to her -- so for the novel everything that happens makes sense. After the film however, you're not sure what type of character Becky is and are left with the unsatisfied feeling that something went wrong somewhere, not to mention a bit confused since the movie jumps disconnectedly through a 30-year span in which no one really ages except the children.
Witherspoon, for her part, does a good job of portraying "movie Becky" -- the one who is disappointingly good "beneath it all." She is beautifully beguiling and at rare times in the film becomes every bit the vixen that Thackeray portrays in his novel. Unfortunately, these incidents are all too few and loveable, movie Becky loses some of the irresistible charm that makes her all the more fascinating to the audience.
All in all, if you don't think you'll be able to read through 680 pages of flowery English, "Vanity Fair" is the typical period film, not quite as good as "Emma" perhaps, but worth sitting through if you'd like a little more culture in your life. The cast and exquisite cinematography make it quite pleasing aesthetically. And as long as you don't mind that the main character can't quite find herself, the time and money you invest at the theater won't be in vain.
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