Meryl Streep and Jeremy Irons play dual roles as Sarah, an outcast woman in 19th century England, and respected biologist Charles, already engaged to the daughter of a powerful man, who finds himself attracted to the melancholy, mysterious, and beautiful Sarah.
This is contrasted with their "real life" counterparts Anna and Mike, who are actors portraying their romance in a film. Their lives mirror the fictional ones closely, as their affair has similar consequences to that of Sarah and Charles, only with a different outcome...
Though the juxtaposition between the 19th and 20th centuries is at first jarring, it does eventually work, since the performances and direction are so good. A compelling romantic drama that does effectively illustrate the difference between Hollywood and Reality, and how the viewer will inevitably prefer one over the other...
This is contrasted with their "real life" counterparts Anna and Mike, who are actors portraying their romance in a film. Their lives mirror the fictional ones closely, as their affair has similar consequences to that of Sarah and Charles, only with a different outcome...
Though the juxtaposition between the 19th and 20th centuries is at first jarring, it does eventually work, since the performances and direction are so good. A compelling romantic drama that does effectively illustrate the difference between Hollywood and Reality, and how the viewer will inevitably prefer one over the other...