A Good Woman
Directed by Mike Barker.
Starring Scarlet Johansson, Helen Hunt and Tom Wilkinson.
This entertaining film is yet another showcase for the biting wit of Oscar Wilde in the tradition of other high quality adaptations such as The Importance of Being Earnest (2002). A Good Woman is an adaptation of Lady Windermere’s Fan, directed by Mike Barker, and starring Scarlet Johansson, Helen Hunt and Tom Wilkinson.
It is summer, and anyone who is anyone has converged on the Amalfi Coast to mix for ‘the season’. The marriage of a wealthy young couple, Robert and Meg Windermere (Mark Umbers and Scarlet Johansson) is jeopardised by scandal when an infamous socialite Mrs Erlynne (Helen Hunt) arrives with a secret she uses to manipulate Robert. Modest but outraged Meg turns to the caddish Lord Darlington (the very well cast Stephen Campbell-Moore). As chaos ensues Wilkinson’s character Tuppy, an astute aging playboy, provides moral grounding for the other characterisations in yet another wonderful performance.
The film makes use of the contrast between the uncontrived, simple beauty of the landscape and the artifice and glamour of the wealthy elite and their followers. The sumptuous costuming is fun, and accurate from a sociological perspective: fashion being used to illustrate and define class divisions. Wilde derives much of his humour from satirising social, cultural and sexual divides and Barker makes excellent use of this material. A Good Woman was Wilde’s original title and is appropriate to the play’s sharp social criticism, as well as an ironic comment about Mrs Erlynne’s character.
Featuring many hallmarks of classic romantic comedy, including blackmail, mistaken identity and the token small dog, A Good Woman can be enjoyed at whatever level you like, and is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud.
Marianne Close
