Age of Innocence

Edith Wharton's great novel is bristling with tension, especially the emotional charge that builds between Archer and the Countess. Martin Scorcese's adaptation, which we watched last night, somehow managed to dissipate all that static energy before it even got started, partly via intrusive and unnecessary voice-over narration, and partly via the worst performances you'll ever see from Daniel Day-Lewis and Michelle Pfeiffer. The chemistry between them is about as interesting to observe as a beaker of distilled water. Round about the hour 2 mark Laura, trying to stay awake as our principals met for one last dreary and frustrated encounter, said, "Just fuck her and get on with it." Being more politically correct, I couldn't possibly say that. But I see her point.