The White Countess Review

The last collaboration between the legendary James Ivory and Ishmail Merchant ("Remains Of The Day", "A Room With A View") before the latter's death last year is an atmospheric period piece which harks back to the pair's glory days. Set in 1930's Shanghai, Kazuo Ishiguro's script follows blind former diplomat Jackson (Ralph Fiennes) and his dream to open an elegant nightclub which welcomes those of all social and political persuasions. Also in Shanghai is deposed Russian Countess Sofia Belinksy (Natasha Richardson), who is propping up her ailing family and ungrateful family by working club land as a bar girl. The pair meet and discover a kindred spirit in each other - but that may not be enough to help them when the Japanese invade.

Set at a deliberately gentle pace and keen to employ Shanghai in all its glory, "The White Countess" may be a bit slow for some but if you persevere, it's a fine example of why Merchant / Ivory were regarded as masters of this genre. Mainly an examination of class and etiquette, there's enough political intrigue here to keep things bubbling along nicely. But it's the relationship between Fiennes and Richardson that really catches the eye here as their characters slowly come together. True, there's no real spark or passion between the two but it's that fact that both have fallen and need support that draws them close.

As you'd expect from any Merchant / Ivory movie, the production values are peerless and the film carries a poignant message - something you get the feeling Ishmail Merchant would have been very proud of.