I'm giving this a 8 just to bump up its overall average a bit.
This production was more than just made for TV thing - the settings are quite beautiful and the costuming exquisitely and meticulously "period".
I thought Timothy Dalton and Sela Ward were quite good; indeed the director and camera crew framed Mr. Dalton in each and every of his scenes quite ravishingly handsomely. However, they effected their skills somewhat less effusively on Ms. Ward's portrayal, partly, I think because perhaps it was their interpretation of the original Edith Wharton story that Ward's character was meant to be a somewhat older and only sedately attractive woman, thus squandering Ms. Ward's natural beauty on screen, although that does nevertheless shine thru in certain scenes.
The problem is the supporting characters - Leslie Caron is rather too dithering as the matriarchal figure in the cast, and the two "young adults" in their performances are quite amateur or, perhaps, ill-directed. Alicia Witt maybe needed to be a bit more conniving and trashy to really be interesting.
But perhaps worst of all was the pacing of the film - which I think was meant to be Fin de siècle stately, but was just boringly slow, and practically ground down to a halt by a weighty full orchestral scoring fading in and out.
All that said, tho, it's a somewhat pleasant piece of eye candy thanks to Mr. Dalton, Ms. Ward, the costuming and the sets - I watched it twice and enjoyed it for what it is both times.
This production was more than just made for TV thing - the settings are quite beautiful and the costuming exquisitely and meticulously "period".
I thought Timothy Dalton and Sela Ward were quite good; indeed the director and camera crew framed Mr. Dalton in each and every of his scenes quite ravishingly handsomely. However, they effected their skills somewhat less effusively on Ms. Ward's portrayal, partly, I think because perhaps it was their interpretation of the original Edith Wharton story that Ward's character was meant to be a somewhat older and only sedately attractive woman, thus squandering Ms. Ward's natural beauty on screen, although that does nevertheless shine thru in certain scenes.
The problem is the supporting characters - Leslie Caron is rather too dithering as the matriarchal figure in the cast, and the two "young adults" in their performances are quite amateur or, perhaps, ill-directed. Alicia Witt maybe needed to be a bit more conniving and trashy to really be interesting.
But perhaps worst of all was the pacing of the film - which I think was meant to be Fin de siècle stately, but was just boringly slow, and practically ground down to a halt by a weighty full orchestral scoring fading in and out.
All that said, tho, it's a somewhat pleasant piece of eye candy thanks to Mr. Dalton, Ms. Ward, the costuming and the sets - I watched it twice and enjoyed it for what it is both times.