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Peter Walsh (Michael Kitchen) rackets around the outposts
of Empire, getting in and out of affaires, ever since she
turned him down in favour of a safe marriage.
Meeting him again causes Mrs Dalloway to recall the events
of thirty years before and whether her decision in settling
on the safety of an ordered life instead of one of uncertainty
and adventure was the right one.
Whether it was worthwhile rejecting love and passion and
accepting affection and stability.
There is a subplot in the story of a young shell-shocked
officer Septimus Warren-Smith (Rupert Graves) who, despite
the love of his wife and the best medical attention of the
time, cannot escape from the memory of dreadful experiences
in World War I.
Mrs Dalloway will be enjoyed by English costume drama fans
who expect them to be faultless in their period settings,
beautifully shot and peopled by convincing actors.
Those who appreciate 'meaning of life' films will praise
it. "Life seems to me very dangerous," Clarissa Dalloway says
in youth and has the same feeling thirty years later.
Not surprisingly with this production team, and of course
the author, the women and gels in this movie are witty, sensitive
and intelligent. The men and boys are dull, boring, clods…
or insane.
The exception made is the man Mrs Dalloway cast aside, her
first love, "you have broken my heart," he says frequently.
Other than the 'new age sensitive' this is not a man's picture.
If Mrs Dalloway had embarked on a youthful lesbian romance
or surrendered to her first male lover there might be a degree
of interest. But she went for the safe option and led a boring
life.
The subplot is far more interesting, the veteran's mental
struggle, his wife's devotion and the threat of the lunatic
asylum. Unfortunately it is only used as a device to reveal
another facet of Mrs Dalloway's character.
So, like Virginia Woolf's books, the film leaves behind an
audience who love it or hate it; few are indifferent.
Conclusion: Movie 85% Extras - 70%
Continued:
DVD details at a glance >
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