Cousine Bette

"Cousin Bette" is a witty and deliciously mean-spirited black comedy. The operative term, however, is "mean-spirited," so this film is not for all tastes. Cousin Bette is victimized (at least in her own mind) by her selfish and unfeeling relatives. Based on a Balzac novel, the story follows Bette's attempts to find love and to get even with those she believes have wronged her. Things don't ever work out as Cousin Bette plans, but the lady proves she is adaptable. Jessica Lange, despite her beauty made me believe that she was an unattractive spinster. Bob Hoskins was, as always, excellent, as was Elizabeth Shue, who nearly stole the show. Good stuff. Recommended.

I'm not familiar with Balzac's novel, but I've read a ton of Romantic literature. And this is one of its classic variations (The virtuous are redeemed). I would never have selected this movie myself (friends did) but I enjoyed it. If I described this as Madame Iago, you'd have the entire plot. Nothing is quite so much fun as watching someone who's been disrespected revenging herself on a crowd, especially after how needlessly cruel they've been. Since the playing field will never roll the arrangement back in Bette's favor, why not just destroy everyone? It's like a bomb went off when she's done. I am in no way a fan of Lange, but she's adequate (while looking distressingly like Jim Carrey in drag).

On the minus side, the lead-up to the 1848 Revolution is trivialized. The writing is extremely weak (Point A is always too overtly connected to Point B), and the lighting of every scene is too brazen. The accents are all over the place, which becomes very distracting.

Every once in a while, a movie comes along that lets one revel in emotions that are generally frowned upon in genteel society. Revenge is one such emotion, and the very black comedy Cousin Bette deals it out in generous portions.

Bette (Jessica Lange) has always lived in the shadow of her more beautiful sister, Adeline. Adeline was always prepared for marriage and society, while Bette became a virtual servant for her family. To make matters worse, Adeline marries the one man Bette loves, the Baron Hulot. The film opens with Adeline on her death bed, listening to the confessions of her adulterous husband and spendthrift son. She makes Bette promise to take care of her family. The malicious grin on Bette's face lets us know what is coming. Bette orchestrates her revenge on each member of the family, with a cunning her family never suspected.

Part of what makes this film so delicious is that none of the characters are really very likeable, but they are all very interesting and well drawn. Even Bette is not someone you would want to welcome into your own family (although she'd make a fascinating guest at a dinner party). The only character who fares even mildly well is Cesar Crevel (Bob Hoskins). A merchant who has become the wealthiest man in Paris, he is attempting to buy his way to respectability. He is at least without pretense, even going so far as to offer 200,000 francs to see Hortense Hulot (the Baron's daughter, played by Kelly MacDonald) naked.

The story follows Bette's attempts to destroy the Baron and his family by manipulating them in their love affairs. The marriage of Hortense is expected to save the family financially, hence the appearance of Crevel. But Hortense loves the penniless Count Wenceslas Steinbach (Aden Young), a sculptor. Meanwhile the Baron has been borrowing from everyone in Paris to keep his mistress, Jenny Cadine. Bette controls all of the characters like a Grand Master.

The backdrop to the film is the decay of the French aristocratic society. Resting on the laurels of the Empire of Napoleon, oblivious to the coming revolution (the film begins in 1846), and in complete denial of the changes around them, we actually cheer for Bette as she systematically destroys the Hulot family. In a way it's the revolution carried out from within, making the fall all the more sweet.

This film is really exceptional. My only criticisms would be that (1) Elisabeth Shue as the famous actress/courtesan Jenny Cadine is merely adequate, (2) it is almost impossible to imagine the stunning Jessica Lange as the "plain" sister, and (3) the characters' accents tend to vary from time to time. The script is intelligent, clever, and realistic. The acting is very strong all around, especially by Lange. Hoskins is terrific, hitting just the right note of a materialistic man trying to be a nobleman, but not quite getting it. The locations and sets are lush and as decadent as one would expect. The direction of Des McAnuff is crisp and assured, the pace even and well controlled.

A somewhat sanitised version of the Balzac classic which departs disappointingly from the original story. Jessica Lang is far too pretty a version of the downtrodden, wizened old hag Bette of the original and so conveys none of her deviousness in the many schemes to avenge herself against her condescending relatives. Missing completely from the film is arch-whore Valerie, a central character of the book's plot, who dies a grim death from a disfiguring tropical disease at the conclusion, thus removing an important moral message of the tale. Most of Balzac's other works viz. Madame Bovary, contain one of these. That said, costumes and furniture are fairly faultless which shows Hollywood has at least tried to do justice to a great book.

The plot is complicated, too much so to describe in 1,000 words. Let's just say Cousin Bette is a tale of familial revenge set in 1840s Paris. Cousin Bette is the spinster aunt of a large wealthy family in the throes of loosing it all; money, dignity and respect. As they struggle, Bette (Lange) weaves her plots, many of which go astray working unintended consequences. This is a delightful black comedy that I liked very much, more so than most reviewers and commentators. If you have a predilection for this kind of movie, jump right in.