Becky had been looking for a rich man to get married. Her best friend
Amelia Sedley (Romola Garaj) wants Becky to marry her rich but dim brother
Jos (Tony Maudsley) and Amelia herself has her eyes set on a handsome
army captain George Osborne (Jonathan Rhys Meyers). George talks Jos
out of marrying the poor penniless Becky. Becky gets a job as a governess
of the rich Crawley family and eventually marries Rawdon Crawley (James
Purefoy), the second son of Sir Pitt Crawley (Bob Hoskins). Rawdon who
was a habitual gambler, is tossed out of the family by the influential
Matilde (Eileen Atkins) the spinster sister of Sir Pitt.
In the meantime, George does marry Amelia but he dies in the battle
of Waterloo and Rawdon survives. Rawdon has lost everything at the gambling
table and Becky was forced to find a patron, the powerful Marquess of
Steyne (Gabriel Byrne) to pay of all their debt and she becomes his
mistress. Disheartened Rawdon quits the marriage and Becky drifts away.
Years later Becky meets both Amelia and her brother Jos. Becky runs
off to India with Jos for a wedding that takes place at the magnificent
Mehrangarh Fort in Jodphur.
Indian born, Mira Nair has beautifully directed this classic movie
based on the 19th Century novel. She portrays Becky as a victim of the
circumstances. When Steyne pays off Rawdon's debts, definitely he expects
Becky to show her gratitude which is shown differently in the novel
than in the movie. In Nair's view, Becky could show her gratitude just
with friendship rather than having sex with Mr.Steyne. Becky just did
what a woman got to do to survive in a man's world. Nair makes the often
immoral, ambitious Becky a highly sympathetic character and puts emphasize
on Becky's loving side in the end.
Witherspoon is radiant and has put up an excellent performance. Rest
of the cast is great. The costumes are amazing. As a whole it is an
entertaining film.
We rate this movie Good.
