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Angels & Insects (1995)
Rate:
9
Viewed:
7/20, 8/20
7/20:
You only have to look at the title and do a bit of word play to figure out what Angels & Insects might be about.
About fifteen minutes into it, I had to look up the internet to see if there was any recognition for Costume Design.
Fortuitously, the Academy Awards had taken notice, making it the only Oscar nomination of the film. But it should've
earned the win, not The English Patient. The screenplay deserved a nomination as well.
I have to say the first ninety minutes is slow and as plotless as it can be. Nothing happens although two things stand out
the most: William Adamson should've gone with Matty Crompton and Edgar Alabaster is oddly overprotective of his sister. Of
course, the latter will provide a twist that becomes the pièce de résistance of the show, leading to the rightful
conclusion which is the former. The other flaw is the lack of character development. I don't know these people; they just
come and go. Of the leads, Eugenia is the most poorly developed; she barely spends time with her husband. When she does,
all they do is have sex.
Apart from the script, the acting is strong most of the time. Mark Rylance and Kristin Scott Thomas are fantastic. Playing
a nasty cad, Douglas Henshall steals their thunder whenever his supercilious character appears and gives Adamson an acerbic
treatment at his pleasure. Of course, Edgar wins at the end yet is still a weird guy. Unfortunately, Patsy Kensit gives a
subpar performance which is evident through her face.
All in all, the shocking but unsurprising twist of Angels & Insects that's followed up with a satisfying ending
makes the overlong film worth sitting through.
8/20:
There are some movies that have to been seen at least twice to catch everything, and Angels & Insects is one of them.
This time, it's a more satisfying experience while being aware of the little details ahead of time to know who the characters
are and understand their motivations. Obviously, I knew right from the start Adamson and Matty, who are on the same
intellectual wavelength, were meant to be together.
Like the costume design and in/exterior sets, the writing is very good, easily fooling me that it was adapted from an 18th or
19th century book when the novella was actually written in 1992. Even better is the acting with a lot of subtleties going on.
Mark Rylance is perfect, Kristin Scott Thomas is stunning, and Douglas Henshall is deliciously nasty, dropping plenty of hints
here and there. I now understand Patsy Kensit's weird approach to her character and have decided that she did a good job.
All in all, Angels & Insects is the most overlooked film of 1995.