The Wings of the Dove (1997)

Iain Softley's adaptation of James' novel of love, money, and deception may have simplified the master's work, but its essence is left intact. Helena Bonham Carter stars as the scheming Kate Croy, who hopes to land impoverished journalist Merton Densher (Linus Roache) and the fortune of another woman. James' common theme of European experience and American innocence, often played out as the exploitation of the latter by the former, blends the fortune-hunting motif of the tragic Portrait of a Lady (1996) with The American's quest for sophistication and romance. The filmmakers have moved the story into the Edwardian age to allow the women characters greater freedom of action, including sex scenes that would probably have shocked the prudish writer. The selfishness and conniving of Kate's character have also been muted and the precariousness of her position as her aunt's ward and subsequent need for money have been emphasized to enlist sympathy. But despite all efforts to give the novel a more contemporary tone, wherein Kate's actions can be viewed as a form of generosity, the unspoken exchange of sex for money still fills one with the revulsion that James intended. Carter is exceptional as the film's driving force, a vibrant, sensual woman, hungry for love, and for the kind of money that will keep her in the soigné drawing rooms she observes with envy. Roache is also excellent as a man too weak to escape his lover's designs, as is Elliot, as the sickly woman finally understands the deal she has made. ~ Michael Costello, All Movie Guide