The Age of Innocence (1993) or, Stayin' IN the Pants

10/20/2013

The Age of Innocence (1993) or, Stayin' IN the Pants

♥♥♥♥

+ Most Deserved Flop of the Year

Wild passions, emotional melodrama and picturesque scenery are promised on this poster for Martin Scorsese's The Age of Innocence

New York in the second part of the 19th century: The city's over-class turn against an expat European countess because of her plans for divorce, but one engaged gentleman shows sympathy towards her, and in fact a great deal more than sympathy.

Daniel Day-Lewis (There Will Be Blood (2007)) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Batman Returns (1992)), - the latter with an ugly, bobbed hairdo, - criticize the tight morals of the past times in this atypical Martin Scorsese (Kundun (1997)) film of Edith Wharton's (Summer (1917)) same-titled 1920 novel that still, however, wallow in milieu description, luxuriousness and narrative gimmicks, as are trademarks of Scorsese. It is attractive to look at, but not very arousing in all its period-dictated prohibition.
The resistance towards marriage in Innocence is as fresh and relevant today as it ever was, and many will, (perhaps quietly), be able to relate.
Lewis, 35 years old at the time, seems too wet behind the ears for the last scenes in the film, in which he is an old man, and the constant cross-cutting in the intimate dialog scenes feels inorganic.
The title probably is meant as a comment by Wharton on the past times depicted, SPOILER in which a man stays loyal to his wife and shuns passion and extra-marital temptation and love. A time before mass-divorces. It does feel a bit unsatisfying to see all that feeling unfulfilled in a long film, but I suppose the alternative would have meant suffering as well.
The Age of Innocence is a film about unfulfilled love, brimming with woe and picturesque beauty. Scorsese co-wrote the script with Jay Cocks (Silence (2016)).

The Irishman (I Heard You Paint Houses) (2019, VOD) - Scorsese's great gangster epic of growing old and death

2013 in films - according to Film Excess [UPDATED I]

Top 10: The best biopic movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) - One helluva movie!

Corman's World: Exploits of a Hollywood Rebel (2011) - Stapleton's Corman doc. is among the year's best films (interview subject)
Hugo (2011) - Scorsese's critically acclaimed, magical 3D family adventure/financial disaster

Shutter Island (2010) - Scorsese's heavy-handed, long, second huge thriller attempt
Boardwalk Empire - 1st season (2010) - Luxurious 1920's ensemble gangster treats (executive producer)

2006 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess [UPDATED II]

Top 10: Best crime movies reviewed by Film Excess to date

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The Departed (2006) - Scorsese's Boston-set wildcat of a capital letter Movie

No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005, documentary) - Travel back in time with Scorsese and Dylan
The Aviator (2004) - The grand American biopic

Gangs of New York (2002) - Death, violence and squalor in charmless period epic

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Casino (1995) - Scorsese's sumptuous Vegas gangster tale has the wingspan of a Greek tragedy

1993 in films and TV-series - according to Film Excess
Cape Fear (1991) - Scorsese adds lots of stuff to remake but loses the balance

Goodfellas (1990) or, Citizen Gangster

Watch a trailer for the film here

Cost: 34 mil. $
Box office: In excess of 47.3 mil. $
= Some uncertainty but appears to be a big flop (returned 1.39 times its cost)

[The Age of Innocence premiered 31 August (Venice Film Festival) and runs 139 minutes. Cocks gave Scorsese Wharton's novel in 1980 with the idea that he should adapt it. Shooting took place from March - June 1992 in New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and in Paris, France. The film opened #6 to a 2.3 mil. $ first weekend in North America, where it then spent 4 weekends at #5 and grossed 32.2 mil. $ (68.1 % of the total gross). Variety reported a 15 mil. $ international gross at the end of 1993, but the actual final gross is unknown. (The film did not open in many markets until 1994.) The film was nominated for 5 Oscars, winning one, for Best Costumes. It lost Best Supporting Actress (Winona Ryder (Celebrity (1998)) to Anna Paquin for The Piano, Art Directio/Set Decoration to Schindler's List, Score (Elmer Bernstein (Stripes (1981))) to John Williams for Schindler's List, and Best Adapted Screenplay to Steven Zaillian for Schindler's List also. It also won 1/4 BAFTA nominations, was nominated for a David di Donatello award, won 1/4 Golden Globe nominations, was nominated for a Grammy and won 3 National Board of Review awards, among other honors. Roger Ebert gave it a 4/4 star review, translating to 2 notches over this one. Scorsese returned for an episode of Century of Cinema (1995, TV-series documentary) and theatrically with Casino (1995). Day-Lewis returned in In the Name of the Father (1993); Ryder in The House of the Spirits (1993); and Pfeiffer in The Simpsons (1993, TV-series) and theatrically in Wolf (1994). The Age of Innocence is certified fresh at 84 % with a 7.4/10 critical average at Rotten Tomatoes.]

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Donald Sutherland has passed away

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Film Excess - Free Ukraine - Stop Putin - End the war NOW!!

Eagerly anticipating this week ... (14-24)

10/20/2013