COUNTRY LIFE
A film review by Steve Rhodes
Copyright 1995 Steve Rhodes
RATING (0 TO ****): ***
Director and screenwriter Michael Blakemore's COUNTRY LIFE is loosely, as in very loosely, based on the UNCLE VANYA play by Anton Chekhov. If you are one of those like me who know and love the play, you will have to make a decision early on. You are watching a movie putatively based on UNCLE VANYA that does have some of the same characters, but it is set in a different place with 80-90% new dialog and with a different structure. If you are unable to get past this and enjoy COUNTRY LIFE for what it is, then I would advise you to leave immediately and see what is playing on the next screen. Although I was troubled by the carelessness of the adaptation throughout the entire movie except the last part, I was nevertheless engulfed in COUNTRY LIFE's characters and story.
COUNTRY LIFE is set in the outback area of Australia right after the end of World War I and was actually filmed (Stephen F. Windon) in the outback in New South Wales. It tells the story of a family, their friends, their servants, and their sheep ranch. On the surface it is a simple story, and it happens over a short time frame. Sally Voysey (Kerry Fox from SHALLOW GRAVE and AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE) is a grown woman whose father, Alexander (Michael Blakemore) left her when she was little. He left to seek fame and fortune, and ultimately he became a successful play critic in London. As the story unfolds he is returning home for the first time in decades. Although he is now old and gray, he is accompanied by a new and gorgeous wife, Deborah, who is played by Greta Scacchi who is one of the most beautiful women in the movies today and whose greatest movie is the romance A MAN IN LOVE. Deborah feels like a fish out of water in the hot and crude outback. Alexander is aghast at his relatives' crudeness. My god, they even have lunch at the uncivilized hour of 12 and dinner at 7. Sally points out that waiting until 8:30 for dinner is hard when you have a ranch to maintain and must get up before sunrise.
The acting by all of the characters is excellent. Sally's love of animals and farming life is presented in a straight forward and believable fashion. Her make up, or more precisely the lack thereof, adds to her aura of rural naturalness. Even the minor characters like those of the servants are excellent. The cook, who is the real head of the household, bosses everyone around and tells her "masters" off if they make any unreasonable requests and indeed any requests that change her long established rhythms in the house. She feeds them mutton for three meals a day, and they better like it or else. This is a sheep ranch afterall.
The most interesting set of characters and events are those involving a love triangle of sorts. Dr. Max Askey (Sam Neill who has been so wonderful in so many things but whom I remember most fondly in REILLY: THE ACE OF SPIES), Sally, and Deborah are interlinked in a tricky web. The courting, the passion, the forbidden romance, and the hurt are well acted and draw the audience into the story. Compelling performances by all three.
Finally, I am happy to report that about the last 15 minutes of the show is true to the original play and even has much of its dialog and with some scenes almost totally intact. These 15 minutes or so are by far and away the best part of COUNTRY LIFE.
COUNTRY LIFE runs about right at 1:45. It is correctly rated PG-13 for some sex and major drunkenness. It has no nudity other than a quick shot of Max from the rear. There is not a hint of violence. Although VANYA ON 42ND STREET made my top 10 list for 1994 and I liked it much more than COUNTRY LIFE, nevertheless, I thought COUNTRY LIFE to be an enjoyable and excellent picture even if it is a poor adaptation of the original play. I recommend this movie to anyone over 12 and especially to those who like movies with realistic sounding dialog and real characters that make you think. COUNTRY LIFE gets *** in my book.
**** = One of the top few films of this or any year. A must see film. *** = Excellent show. Look for it. ** = Average movie. Kind of enjoyable. * = Poor show. Don't waste your money. 0 = One of the worst films of this or any year. Totally unbearable.
REVIEWED WRITTEN ON: August 10, 1995
Opinions expressed are mine and not meant to reflect my employer's.
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