My Cousin Rachel

MY COUSIN RACHEL (15)

D: Roger Michell

Fox Searchlight/Free Range (Kevin Loader)

US/UK 2017

106 mins

Drama/Mystery

W: Roger Michell [based on the novel by Daphne du Maurier]

DP: Mike Eley

Ed: Kristina Hetherington

Mus: Rael Jones

Rachel Weisz (Rachel Ashley), Sam Claflin (Philip), Iain Glen (Nick Kendall), Holliday Granger (Louise Kendall)

It's rather unfortunate that Anglo-American production is much less than the sum of all its parts. Based on a classic novel, boasting a magnificent lead performance from Rachel Weisz, handsomely photographed and meticulous attention paid to the period, My Cousin Rachel turns out to be a rather dull film.

The story concerns Philip, an orphan, who receives the news that his adoptive cousin has died, and he suspects that the death is the work of his late cousin's wife Rachel, an older, seductive woman of whom Philip develops his own infatuation.

Perhaps in the hands of a different director, a darker vision would have suited the material. As is, it's worth watching for Rachel Weisz's performance, but very little else.

6/10