Plot: What’s it about?
Evgeny Onegin (Ralph Fiennes) is a cold, but suave aristocrat who loves to win the hearts of ladies, then break them. He is an arrogant man on the outside, but is plagued by boredom and depression on the inside. When he learns he has inherited his uncle’s impressive estate, he quickly opts to pack up and head for his new stomping grounds. When he arrives nothing seems to be unusual, but soon he will meet a woman who will change his life forever. His newfound friend Vladimir Lensky (Toby Stephens) plays matchmaker and introduces Onegin to a young woman named Tatyana (Liv Tyler). Soon after they meet, Tatyana has fallen in love with Onegin and spurts out her affections for him. In typical fashion Onegin listens to her words, then dismisses her just as quickly. He wants to be with her on the inside, but his inner pain and depression force him to turn her away. The decision to refuse her attentions is one that will haunt Onegin for years, but will he ever be able to reverse the tide of his coldness?
If you’re like me and love a good period drama, then Onegin is a movie you simply can’t afford to miss. I had some doubts about it before I viewed it for the first time, but once the movie began all my doubts were quickly washed away. This has all the needed elements for a period piece such as elegant costumes, terrific locations and set design, and of course some gifted actors to bring the characters to life. As you can imagine, this is a very visually striking film and I ended up watching it a second time just to catch all the details I’d missed in the sitting. I was somewhat skeptical about Liv Tyler’s ability to play this type of role, but she proved me wrong and turns in a graceful and controlled performance. But this also carries some traits not so popular from other period pieces, such as a slow pace and a brooding storyline. This is a very character driven piece so action is minimal, but I doubt anyone with some semblance of an attention span will have trouble staying interested. I will say this is not a fairy tale type story in the least, so don’t come around looking for a pick-me-up movie with Onegin. I highly recommend this film as a rental, but since Studio Home Entertainment has issued such a nice disc, a purchase would also be a wise investment.
This film was directed by Martha Fiennes, who made her feature film debut with this offering. I can imagine how difficult it would be directing your first feature in any case, let alone a delicate and complex period piece such as Onegin. But to her credit Fiennes handles herself very well and while some flaws do emerge, this movie emerges as a powerful and sweeping motion picture. This is not only a fine genre film, but also an overall excellent movie. I look forward to Fiennes’ future film projects and hope to see more of them sooner rather than later. Martha’s brother Ralph serves as executive producer and lead role in the film and I am pleased with his work here. Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler’s List) has experience in the period film genre and it shows, as he is able to bring Onegin to life in perfect form. I was also pleased with the performance of Liv Tyler, who I expected to be in her usual poor form. But Tyler (Inventing The Abbotts, Stealing Beauty) plays this role with less of her typical “doe eyes” and relies more on actual acting techniques. The supporting cast is also up to task and includes Martin Donovan (The Opposite Of Sex, Heaven), Lena Headey (Twice Upon A Yesterday, Gossip), Irene Worth (Lost In Yonkers, Deathtrap), and Toby Stephens (Cousin Bette, Space Cowboys).
Video: How does it look?
Onegin is presented in a 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. This is a terrific looking transfer and I can only hope Studio Home Entertainment continues this level of excellence. The colors come across well, but since this is a more natural toned movie you won’t notice the same brightness of richness some films have. I can say that I found no bleeds or smears and that whites were very pure, while flesh tones seemed natural and warm. The contrast is on par also, with complex shadow layers and no visible detail loss in the least. Again, a solid and impressive transfer that bodes well for future Millennium Series titles.
Audio: How does it sound?
This isn’t really an audio driven movie by any means, but the included Dolby Digital 5.1 track does provide a nice audio experience. The musical score is composed by Magnus Fiennes (how many Fiennes worked on this movie anyway??) and fits the film well, while sounding very good in this mix. The music is immersive in texture and never becomes distorted or sounds forced. The sound effects are mostly atmospheric and subtle in nature, but they come through well in this track’s mix. The main focus is dialogue and it sounds rich and clean in this mix, with no volume or separation errors at all. A 2.0 English track is also included, along with French and Spanish dubbed tracks and Spanish subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This is part of Studio Home Entertainment’s Millennium Series, so you know it is loaded with supplements from top to bottom. This release contains both video and theatrical trailers for this film, as well as a gallery of other titles from the Millennium Series. A trivia game is also included and if you can solve it, you’re treated to a bonus featurette which is always welcome. Some extensive talent files are also jammed onto this disc, along with a nice still photo gallery. You also have access to several interviews with various members of the cast and crew, including Ralph Fiennes, Liv Tyler, Martha Fiennes, producers Ileen Maisel and Simon Bosanquet, and actors Toby Stephens and Lena Headey. These interviews are shown in separate fashion, so you can choose which one you’d like to view directly. Four behind the scenes featurettes have been included and each covers a different aspect of the film and how it was made. One deals with the story and novel used as a basis for the film, one with the actual production itself, one on the filming that took place in St. Petersburg, and the final one deals with Ralph and Martha Fiennes. These four pieces together form a total and in depth behind the scenes look at Onegin and I am very pleased they were all included. But that’s not all, as an audio commentary with director Martha Fiennes has also been stuffed onto this terrific disc. The track is informative in many ways and I liked to hear Fiennes’ experiences as a first time director. If you’re a fan of the flick, don’t miss this track by any means.
