Kendra did a short review a zillion years ago that pretty much sums up Onegin (1999) better than I could: “One of those Really Terrible movies that’s just gorgeously costumed.” Of course I read her short review and thought to myself, “Well, I like a lot of flicks she doesn’t, so might as well give Onegin a try…”
Welp, she was right. There’s a lot here to look at but not a whole lot else.
But since I’m trying to write a more substantive review, including more photos of said gorgeous costumes, here is the obligatory paragraph describing why, dear readers, this film was so universally panned. Basically, it falls flat as a film due to its sluggish pacing, emotional detachment, and overly restrained performances. Ralph Fiennes, while visually fitting the title role, brings a cold aloofness that borders on monotony, making it difficult to connect with his character’s inner conflict or transformation. Liv Tyler, who at that time was in extremely high demand, actually pulled it off as the female lead, which had me rethinking some of the snarkier things I’ve said about her acting chops over the years, but really, there wasn’t a lot of substance to begin with. She just looked gorgeous and that was really all she had to do, which is good because she’s very, very good at that.
The film’s atmosphere is beautifully composed but overly polished, lacking the passion and depth that made the original story so compelling. It feels lifeless and bland and nobody acting in it can be arsed to resuscitate it. Everyone just basically drifts around looking gorgeous in beautiful costumes designed by John Bright (A Room With A View, Howards End, Sense and Sensibility, to name a very few of his iconic costume repertoire), and if that was the goal of director Martha Fiennes (Ralph’s sister, of course), then mission accomplished. If it was to bring Pushkin’s emotionally charged novel to life … well…
But like Kendra said, you could watch it with the volume off and enjoy the pretty. In fact, that’s what I did halfway through watching it because I had already tuned out the vast majority of the dialogue and plot by that point. So, let’s check out the eye candy!
You can watch Onegin (1999) for free on YouTube and elsewhere right now, if you want to see for yourself! Watch it and let me know what you think!
Find this frock flick at:
Tatyana’s fiance, the Crown Prince, was portrayed by Martin Donovan, who has co-starred with Toby Stephens in the 2000 adaptation of “The Great Gatsby”.
My mother-in-law and I went to ‘Onegin’ all those many years ago and quite enjoyed it. Maybe I should watch it again and see what a quarter of a century has done to my taste.
God, that sounds both enchanting and ghastly: something to be watched while smoking a very refined drug?
Trust Kendra! Kendra is never wrong! 😉 😛
Not going to lie, my favourite part of this movie was seeing Eugene Onegin eventually, but very firmly “Nope’d” by his inamorata: actually, getting a glimpse of how razor thin the line between Frock Flicks and Fantasy (Whether GAME OF THRONES, THE LORD OF THE RINGS or JAMES BOND 007) can be, as well as being privileged to admire a family lucky enough to boast one Lena Heady and one Liv Tyler amongst it’s daughters was also a stroke of luck.
At this point I’d quite like to see Ms Heady and Mr Toby Stephens team up as a gorgeously frocked power couple (Villainy optional).
P.S. If you’re casting a woman fantastically beautiful enough to haunt your dreams whilst still coming across as an actual person, Ms Tyler definitely places in the Top Ten.
I saw the stunning red dress at an exhibition of film costumes, along with a sumptuous dressing gown created for Onegin. The lining (which never appeared even for a nanosecond onscreen) was hand-quilted silk satin. As Barbara Karinska (costumer at NYCBallet) once said of a similarly superfluous extravagance, “It’s for the soul.”