New Flair for Vanity Fair
by Jan Aaron

Director Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding") breathes new life into William Makepeace Thackeray's "Vanity Fair", starring the irresistible Reese Witherspoon as the clever, social climbing Becky Sharp. Delhi born Nair brings her Indian sensibilities to Calcutta born Thackeray's classic work.

At the time of the story because of the East India Company, Britain was deeply involved with India. Nair extracts that element and heightens it to bring life and vitality to this classic tale. There are many Indian motifs in the movie: decorative, musical, and cultural. Two particularly riveting scenes recall colorful Bollywood musicals. In one, Becky leads a chorus performing a seductive nautch (dance) at a lavish house party. In the other, the stunning final scene, colorful turbaned musicians and dancers surround Becky as she rides on an elephant to the fabulous Meherangarh Fort in Jodhpur, India to start a new adventure.

Not all of this works perfectly to forward the story, but it always fascinates. While the story criticizes England's snobbish, pretentious nouveau riche of the early 19th century, it could apply to the money crazed today. As a teacher's tool, the film might inspire classroom discussions about its relevance, as well as how students might bring their own backgrounds to retelling this tale.

Like the novel, the screenplay, set during the Napoleonic wars, tells the story of two girls who meet at boarding school: Becky Sharp, orphaned, poor and innovative and Amelia Sedley, (Romola Garai), the sweet, traditional daughter of a newly rich merchant (Jim Broadbent). Amelia first is involved with a cad, George Osborne (Johanthan Rys Meyers) who is killed at Waterloo and later wed to a nice guy William Dobbin (Rhys Ifans) who worships her. Becky's story is more interesting. She marries the dashing, Rawdon Crowley (James Purefoy) and eventually ends up mistress to the wealthy Marquess of Steyne, (Gabriel Byrne) which allows her to realize her dreams...or does it? See for yourself.

Director of photography Declan Quinn and editor Allyson C. Johnson bring an enormously satisfying aesthetic style to the proceedings. Beatrix Aruna Pasztor's costumes, using strong Indian colors throughout the film mixed with muted English style, add appropriate panache. Mychael Danna, master of mixing East-West sounds, composed the memorable score. (PG-13; 145 minutes)#