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Angels And Insects
1995
This is a sumptuous and erotic drama where the insect world becomes a metaphor for the depravity and decadence of the upper class in this visually enticing period piece. Set at the height of British colonialism William, a penniless entomologist, falls in love with the eldest daughter of Sir Alabaster, an aristocrat who has .. Read more
| Starring | Patsy Kensit, Douglas Henshall, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas |
|---|---|
| Director | Philip Haas |
| Genres | Drama |
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Angels And Insects
This is a sumptuous and erotic drama where the insect world becomes a metaphor for the depravity and decadence of the upper class in this visually enticing period piece. Set at the height of British colonialism William, a penniless entomologist, falls in love with the eldest daughter of Sir Alabaster, an aristocrat who has offered the young man a position as his assistant. In spite of William's low social status and lack of funds, he and Eugenia are eventually married, and several children are born. One day, William discovers that his wife has a shocking secret, and his life will never be the same.
Kristen Scott Thomas received the Best Actress accolade at the Evening Standard British Film Awards, and the film garnered an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design.
| Starring | Patsy Kensit, Douglas Henshall, Mark Rylance, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jeremy Kemp, Anna Massey, Saskia Wickham |
|---|---|
| Director | Philip Haas |
| Studio | MGM ENTERTAINMENT |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 53 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Genres | Drama |
| Language | English |
| Released | DVD: 22 Sep 2003 Production year: 1995 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (6)
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The British film industry is justly proud of its reputation for meticulously crafted costume dramas. However, the slightest misjudgement can result in disaster, as in the case of this precious adaptation of AS Byatt's novella Morpho Eugenia. Although director Philip Haas and his co-writer Belinda Haas have got some pretty tricky ideas to convey (such as Darwinism and the notion that humans are little more than specimens in a celestial laboratory), they do so in such a pompous manner that the already stilted performances of Mark Rylance and Patsy Kensit increasingly border on the comic. Only Kristin Scott Thomas, playing against type as a mousey governess, emerges with any credit.
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"...ANGELS is an intriguing film with a great deal to recommend it....ANGELS is physically remarkable and well-acted, especially by the always impressive Kristin Scott Thomas..."
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Most helpful member's review
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7 out of 8 people found this review helpful
Bring on the Ants!!!
Okay, prepare to be in for a long wait. This film only gets interesting about 1 hour in - when the main character (Mark Rylance) begins to study a city of ants in the grounds of the large family estate that he has been allowed to marry into. The ants are animated which is more than can be said for Rylance. If ever there was an advert for how not to do period drama then this is it - slow, monotonous and draaaaaaaawn out!
Douglas Henshall adds a bit of spice as the protective elder brother of Rylance's new wife (Kensit), but then he has his reasons. However, the one saving grace is Kristin Scott Thomas as the governess - her effortless acting hooks your attention and thankfully allows you to forget about her dreary co-stars for the screentime that she has.
But the real stars are the ants and as we move into micro-documentary footage of their daily lives and battles you actually find characters that you care about, that you can identify with.....and surely cheaper to employ than Rylance who needs nothing more than a good slap round the face to snap him out of his dull, dull, dull delivery. -
Most recent members' review
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1 out of 1 person found this review helpful
Customer Review
Mark Rylance acting. A. S. Byatt story. Sounds like a sure-fire hit. Unfortunately this was not the case in my opinion.
Whereas I realize that the Adamson character (Rylance) was meant to be rather straight laced, I do think it was overdone. Unlike the characters in the story that project humanity onto insects, I felt I was merely observing the characters actions with no intuition of their feelings. The revelations that I assume were meant to shock, did not seem shocking at all as I did not particularly care what happened to the observed characters.
There were a number of elements such as bright colours on the dresses that were obvious comparisons between the human and the insect world, but these seemed too obvious and overplayed.
Starting from the story, I would imagine the director would have to choose between a realistic interpretation or more of a fantasy approach. I have the impression the director never made his mind up which path to take.
This film is rated 18. I guess that is due to the story rather than the presentation - although there is some nudity and sexual activity I would not class the images as particularly shocking these days. I wonder if the film would still have received an 18 certificate if there was no nudity.
I rate this film as 2 stars. I watched it to the end - otherwise I might only have only have given it one star. -
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This is a sumptuous and erotic drama where the insect world becomes a metaphor for the depravity and decadence of the upper class in this visually enticing period piece. Set at the height of British ... -