Pitch-perfect adaptation of Edith Wharton's novel of a woman whose
independent mind turns her out of society. Every scene convinces you
that there could be no other way to tell the story, and every scene pivots
on the performance Davies elicits from Anderson as Lily Bart. Her
combination of flirtation and forthrightness give the film an
extraordinary relevance and power, as the audience are gripped by this
modern woman at odds with an outmoded world. Aykroyd, May and Linney are
subtle villains, and Stoltz, an unusual hero. Wharton's sharp
observation is as painful as any Nil By Mouth or Gridlock'd.
