73
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100San Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannSan Francisco ChronicleEdward GuthmannThe difference is that Iain Softley, who directed Wings of the Dove, and his screenwriter Hossein Amini, who wrote the overlooked "Jude," are keen observers who bring a wealth of ambiguity and mystery to the surface -- and release their characters from the cliches that easily could have swallowed them.
- 90SalonSalonThe rigid distinction usually made between a terrific outfit movie and cinematic art is just another barrier washed away in the overflowing riches of The Wings of the Dove.
- 90The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenFew films have explored the human face this searchingly and found such complex psychological topography. That's why The Wings of the Dove succeeds where virtually every other film translation of a James novel has stumbled.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertIn The Wings of the Dove, there is a fascination in the way smart people try to figure one another out. The film is acted with great tenderness.
- 88ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe Wings of the Dove is not a happy tale, but it is a vivid and unforgettable one, featuring multi- dimensional characters, beautiful cinematography, impressive set design, and accomplished acting.
- 80Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranLos Angeles TimesKenneth TuranWings of the Dove is richly appointed and beautifully mounted, with lush location shooting in Venice given the place of honor.
- 75San Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserSan Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserSoftley and Amini say they consciously viewed Kate as a film noir kind of heroine, a beauty leading a good man astray. And that, added to the setting of the second half of the movie in canal-riven Venice, gives the story the kind of moral haziness that verges on Thomas Mann territory.
- 70The New RepublicStanley KauffmannThe New RepublicStanley KauffmannSoftley worries a bit, quite unnecessarily, about keeping our interest; so he lays in a number of overhead shots and considerable zooming at the start of sequences. But his work with his cast is sure, except for the miscast Elliott, and he generates the right internal heat between the lovers.
- 67Austin ChronicleMarc SavlovAustin ChronicleMarc SavlovAchingly gorgeous in almost all respects, the film soars in its period depiction of turn-of-the-century London (and later in Venice, as well), from costuming to cinematography on down.
- 0SlateSlateThe movie is a modern facsimile of the potboilers James transfigured. A great movie may yet be made of James, but it will have to be done by someone who has read him.