Film
What's on at the cinema plus reviews of the latest movie and DVD releases
Bookmark this pageOscar and Lucinda (1997)
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Movie review
From Time Out Film Guide
In this exquisite adaptation of Peter Carey's novel, gambling is more than an obsession - it's a leap of faith. For eccentric Anglican cleric Oscar Hopkins, winning on the horses is God's way of providing financial support for him and the Oxford poorhouse, while Australian heiress Lucinda Leplastrier's evenings around the card table are just one expression of the scandalous individualism that has already seen this single woman running her own glass factory. As we follow their personal histories from troubled childhood to awkward maturity, the pair seem destined to meet, even though they have grown up on opposite sides of the world. An ocean voyage from Portsmouth to Sydney allows fate to play its hand, but can such emotionally fragile individuals take advantage of their chance combination? Fiennes and Blanchett's expertly judged performances stand at the centre of this tantalising narrative, which conjures a touching love story from the silences of its protagonists' halting vulnerability. For director Armstrong, it marks another wise portrait of resilient Victorian womanhood to match even My Brilliant Career, but here she goes beyond her usual classical economy. Everything a costume drama should be.Author: TJ
Cast & crew
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Producer: Robin Dalton, Timothy White
Cast: Ralph Fiennes, Cate Blanchett, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Wilkinson, Richard Roxburgh, Clive Russell, Bille Brown, Josephine Byrnes, Geoffrey Rush full cast
Genre(s): Period/Swashbucklers
Duration: 132 mins
Most popular on this site
Top Stories
Has David Cronenberg turned tame?
Has director David Cronenberg veered too far from his radical and bloody roots with new film 'A Dangerous Method'?
The 10 worst date movies
Just in time for Valentine's Day, we present ten of the least romantic films ever made
Where to watch this year's Oscar-nominated films
Find out where to watch 2012's Oscar-nominated films in London cinemas
10 unlikely badboy biopics
Featuring Phil Collins, Jeremy Clarkson, Nick Clegg, David Starkey and a host of other unlikely subjects
Interview: Sean Durkin on 'Martha Marcy May Marlene'
The first-time director of the brilliant new thriller discusses religious cults and robot boxing
Pop-up cinema for Valentine's Day
Side-step romantic clichés with some alternative Valentine’s viewing
What do you think?
Post your review now