A Good Woman

Based on the play by Oscar Wilde, A Good Woman is chock full of clever dialogue and witty characters – unfortunately, there’s not a single character here worth caring about or rooting for. Helen Hunt stars as Stella Erlynne, a trampy socialite who’s just been run out of town by the wives of her various conquests. Upon arriving at a remote European villa, she immediately locates her next target – a well-to-do businessman (played by Mark Umbers) who’s married to the beautiful Meg (Scarlett Johansson). Also in the mix is a persistent suitor vying for Stella’s affections (played by Tom Wilkinson) and Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore), who pursues Meg despite her protests. Aside from a few fairly decent performances (Wilkinson is the clear standout) and some pretty scenery, there’s not awful lot going on here. Howard Himelstein’s screenplay is peppered with snappy dialogue with an over-rehearsed quality to it (has anyone ever talked like this ever?), while director Mike Barker tries his best to imbue the film with a farcical sort of vibe (it kind of works). In the end, what it really comes down to is the fact that A Good Woman is instantly forgettable; there’s nothing here that’s going to linger in the viewer’s thoughts once the credits have rolled.

** out of ****