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Review

Mrs. Dalloway

Director

Marleen Gorris

Year

1997

Rating

Reviewed by

José Ruiloba a.k.a. Morris

Review date

Thursday, August 21, 2003

My favorite movie last year was The Hours, a masterpiece if you ask me. So obviously after seeing it I felt enthralled to know more about Virginia Woolf and her classic novel Mrs. Dalloway. Since I’m too lazy to pick up such a book I opted for another option: watch the movie. And so I did. Fortunately I had heard that it was an excellent adaptation.

Clarissa Dalloway (Vanessa Redgrave) wakes up one sunny day ready to prepare everything for a party she’s giving that night. Throughout the morning she can’t stop thinking about her younger days (played by Natasha McElhone) when she had to choose between a safe marriage to Richard Dalloway (Robert Portal) or a wild adventurous one to Peter Walsh (Alan Cox). Her decision ultimately affected her whole life, and Peter’s (Michael Kitchen) sudden return makes her think and reflect upon what she is or could have been.

Mrs. Dalloway was directed by Marleen Gorris, of Antonia’s Line fame, who was able to bring the right tone to a story that isn’t about anything else but people’s feelings. The movie has an European feel to it that works really well. It’s also quite slowly-paced, but it is such a pleasure to watch that you can only thank Gorris for what she did.

Life itself can be quite complicated, and so Clarissa could tell you. The whole gamut of feelings she goes through in a single day are a fascinating reflection of what human nature is all about. The movie is about going back and reflect upon decisions that were made in the past that changed the course of everything. Were they the right decisions? Were they wrong? What could’ve happened if she had opted for a different life? Would she be the same person she is today?

The story is told in flashbacks that are simply delightful. We are able to witness how Clarissa was when she was younger and the times she lived in. Ultimately we return to the 20’s, when Clarissa is giving that famous party that spawns one of the best scenes in the movie when she greets her guests. That party serves as a true catharsis.

If there is one thing I would fault the movie for is the subplot involving Septimus (Rupert Graves), the man with the visions. I know it is central to the overall story, but somehow the movie loses punch when his scenes come in, especially because they apparently have nothing to do with all the other stuff in the movie.

Vanessa Redgrave is radiant as Mrs. Dalloway. She gives a unique performance full of dignity, of life, of joy, of sadness, of confliction. I don’t know if it is a coincidence or not, but I found the same traces in Nicole Kidman’s performance as Virginia Woolf in The Hours. Is it that Virginia wrote Mrs. Dalloway as an extension of herself? If that is so, both actresses were able to capture the true spirit of these women on the big screen admirably.

Natasha McElhone, on the other hand, is radiant as young Clarissa. And Alan Cox does a wonderful job as young Peter. I also enjoyed the character of Sally, Clarissa’s best friend, who shows some hints of lesbianism while younger and who has a wonderful couple of scenes as her older self.

Delightful!

“I’ll buy the flowers myself.”

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Other reviews of Mrs. Dalloway (1997): Groucho