Mary Reilly * (1996, Julia Roberts, John Malkovich, George Cole, Michael Gambon, Kathy Staff, Michael Sheen, Glenn Close, Ciarân Hinds) – Classic Movie Review 2787

Much was expected from this strongly cast film of Valerie Martin’s popular novel, but director Stephen Frears’s 1996 British drama is one of his failures. The idea of seeing the old Victorian horror story through the eyes of the housemaid of Dr Henry Jekyll (John Malkovich) seems a bit desperate and pointless in the first place. That is made all the worse since Christopher Hampton provides a hesitant, unconvincing screenplay.

With a risibly unconvincing accent, Julia Roberts gives one of her worst, least credible performances as the Irish serving maid Mary Reilly, who falls in love with Dr Jekyll, in this embarrassingly wobbly retelling of the Jekyll and Hyde story. Also having an off day, Malkovich gives a couple of his ripest performances as Jekyll and Hyde.

Though it seems to offer good roles to actors, the acting of the British cast is sliced from the hambone, too, leaving Frears’s best intentions on the road to nowhere. Michael Gambon is particularly hammy as Mary’s father, George Cole is off key as the butler Mr Poole and Kathy Staff, Michael Sheen, Bronagh Gallagher, Ciarân Hinds, Linda Bassett, Henry Goodman, Sasha Hanau, David Ross and Tim Barlow also fail to impress.

Even Glenn Close keeps up with the general rough acting, admittedly wildly miscast as a tart called Mrs Farraday.

However, there is a posh, smart production, with attractive sets (by production designer Stuart Craig) and imaginative, moody cinematography (by Philippe Rousselot), so it looks good. But otherwise it’s not at all good.

On a budget of $47,000,000, it grossed only $5,600,000 in the US.

Julia Roberts’s unconvincing Irish accent can certainly go into any list of Worst Accents in Movies Ever.

George Cole died on August 5 2015, aged 90. Adieu, dear departed.

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2787

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