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Trailer—Daisy Miller

Daisy Miller

This is a movie I had been aware of but had never seen. So I found the DVD at my public library. Frankly I found it difficult to watch and decided to give it at least 30 minutes, just in case it develops slowly. But that is all I was able to give it. Cybill Shepherd, rising star in her early 20s, is Annie P. "Daisy" Miller. The movie starts off at a resort hotel in Italy, Daisy meets an interesting young man, a relationship seems to be budding. However I found the Daisy character to be totally annoying, with her rapid fire dialog in long, run-on sentences, and paying no mind to what anyone else is saying. Plus her young brother always getting into annoying trouble. I just lost all interest.

I agree with the above comments. Miss Shepherd's simpering performance sabotaged what was otherwise a very good film. Subtle, amusing in all the right places and well-directed by Peter Bogdanovich. Unfortunately Bogdanovich was so taken with Cybill Shepherd he failed to see that she was wrong for the part. She is outshone by a brilliant supporting cast including Cloris Leachman as the weak-willed mother and Eileen Brennan as a spiteful society woman. Henry James has never transferred well to the screen; one thinks of the disastrous "Portrait Of A Lady" where Nicole Kidman was colourless as Isabel Archer. This is about the best of the movies adapted from James (perhaps with the exception of "The Heiress" which was an adaptation of "Washington Square") and it benefits from its' sumptuous location photography - it was filmed in Switzerland and Rome.

Ms. Shepherd's fluttery, busy, yet essentially one-note performance undermines an effortful, well-pedigreed adaptation of a seemingly unfilmable work. The screenplay is nimble and witty, the photography lush, the locations dazzling, the supporting cast well-chosen -- how can anyone not respond to Mildred Natwick in anything? But it's all up to the star, and here, she's not up to it. Admittedly, Daisy is a shallow character, but a more thoughtful actress would give her more dimension (today, maybe, Gwyneth Paltrow could do it). It's irresistible to consider the parallels between real life and reel life: The young Bogdonavich dotes on his leading lady as blindly as Barry Brown's character dotes on Daisy. But the poignancy is tempered somewhat when you consider that this nattering, uninteresting young lady would be absolute hell to live with.

Respectable Brown gently pursues the flirtatious Shepherd who is innocent in the ways of the world but unwilling to adhere to societal rules much to the chagrin of her fellow Americans living in Italy. Gentle exploration of whether the titular Miller is truly innocent or a flirtatious, manipulative young lady enjoying herself and to hell with society. It is quite charming and nicely cast - very little happens but by the tragic ending it becomes clear what is what and is ultimate rather moving.

Don't let the first 10 minutes fool you, this movie is tremendous. Shepherd might seem off putting at the start, but she fully takes hold of the character and Brown's sad eyes do more to sell the story than anything. Sure it's set in a bygone age, but the feelings are totally universal and the ending is just devastating. This is totally unfairly passed over and deserves more attention. It's every bit as good as Barry Lyndon, just in a different way.