Isabelle Adjani

Maggie Smith

Alan Bates

Anthony Higgins

Suzanne Flon

Sheila Gish

Daniel Chatto

Pierre Clémenti

Daniel Mesguich

Armelia McQueen

Wiley Wood

Virginie Thévenet

Muriel Montossé

Hélène Shirley

Caroline Loeb

Arlette Spetebroot

Josine Comellas

Monique Mauclair

Sébastien Floche

Paulita Sedgwick

Bernice Stegers

Isabelle Canto da Maya

François Viaur

Dino Zanghi

Michel Such

Jean-Pierre Dravel

Annie Noël

Maurice Ribot

Pierre Julien

Humbert Balsan

Serge Marquand

Jeffrey Kime

Anne-Marie Brissonière

Marie-France De Bourges

Brigitte Hermetz

Romain Brémond

Bonnafet Tarbouriech

James Ivory

Jean-Jacques Caziot

Pierre Lhomme

Richard Robbins

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

Jean Rhys

Ismail Merchant

Bernard Bats

Robert Christidès

Richard King

Pierre Abraham

Michel Maingois

Elizabeth Aldrich

David Renton

Hugues de Laugardière

Jennifer Patrick

Ken Lintott

Pierre Berroyer

Tommie Manderson

Jean-Pierre Mahot

Humphrey Dixon

Judy Moorcroft

Drama

Romance

Quartet

Lyric International

National Film Trustee Company

Merchant Ivory Productions

Franco London Films

France

United Kingdom

CinemaSerf

"Marya" (Isabelle Adjani) finds herself out on a limb when her husband "Stephane" (Anthony Higgins) is incarcerated for a year for some art fraud. Luckily (or not) she is taken pity on by "H.J." (Alan Bates) and his doting wife "Lois" (Maggie Smith). They invite her into their lives but quickly, she realises that he has a bit of a wandering eye and that though his wife is fully aware, she is too afraid of losing him to intervene. "Marya" doesn't welcome his attentions, indeed she makes it clear that she's not the slightest interest at all, but a combination of circumstances and her foreign birth (she is originally from the Caribbean) make it tough for her to find acceptance or a job. Despite repeated attempts to flee, she finds herself drawn more and more into his toxic manipulations - even once her husband is released from prison. "Stephane" is under no illusions as to the scenario and so now it's choice time for everyone who has got used to the situation and the lifestyle. Thing is, here, it's all so gorgeously filmed, costumed and designed but the delivery of the story is entirely sterile. Bates, especially when he tries to get emotional, is frankly pretty terrible and Smith's character is just so weak and feeble that she has little to get her teeth into the role beyond playing (well) a porcelain shadow of a woman. It's probably Adjani who disappoints most, though. She's as flat as a pancake with her performance, coupled with the rest of the lacklustre direction, presenting us with something that is very much a victory for style over substance.