MovieChat Forums > An Ideal Husband (1999) Discussion > Minnie Driver ruins this movie

Minnie Driver ruins this movie

posted 13 years ago by Mittens59
4 replies | jump to latest

The subject header kinda says it all; her moronic portrayal of Mabel made me cringe ...

[–] IMDbeans 11 years ago

Yep, she'd make a good waitress in a modern flick but really doesn't carry off such a role as this.

[–] denham 9 years ago

It's odd that Julianne Moore, an American, can manage the requisite English accent, and so can Cate Blanchett, an Australian, and yet Minnie Driver, though English (and from a privileged background), cannot. But it's not just the accent, her efforts were generally close to pantomime, and all the more painfully incongruous in the context of finely judged performances by the other actors. Some might attribute the failing to bad direction, but the more obvious explanation could well be the correct one.

I beseech ye in the bowels of Christ, think that ye may be mistaken.

[–] mafrie 8 years ago

I don't know if her performance ruined the whole movie - that's saying a lot - but at times her mode of delivery and mannerisms were more of a girl belonging to the 1990s rather than a lady of English high society during Oscar Wilde's era c.1895 (one example of many: while seated and waiting for Lord Goring we see her much too animated - blowing out her cheeks, looking around awkwardly - standing with arms akimbo instead of waiting with decorum as a proper young lady of her social status). In a sense she lacked the mannerisms of the ladies of that day, causing her character to seem just a wee bit out of step with the other actors. Perhaps she was too old by a decade for the character of Mabel. Alas, chemistry sometimes doesn't happen on screen despite one's best efforts.

[–] teacherxiq1973 8 years ago

Actually we don't know everything about ladies of 19th century. We just have our stereotypes about them. They are not statues. Suppose the ladies of high society were different. The direction of role is correct. Lord Goring should fallen in love with not boring, extraodinary woman. But Minnie Driver really ruined this movie simply because she isn't pretty. That's all.