Wed., Dec. 21, 2005 12:00 AM PST
There are no Shanghai surprises here. Set in the Chinese city in 1936, this meandering drama stars
Natasha Richardson as a Russian countess-refugee who now lives in poverty, working as a private dancer to support her family. While doing her Tina Turner best, she catches the ear of Ralph Fiennes, a former U.S. diplomat who lost his sight--and family--during political violence.
He invites the countess to work as a hostess in his elegant new nightclub, and they enter a love affair not long before the Japanese invade. Richardson is radiant, and Fiennes looks fine in natty suits. The costumes, art direction and music are all beautiful, as you would expect from a Merchant-Ivory production (their last, as Ismail Merchant died this year). Despite the talent involved, the film's inert and flat. So, feel free to count us out on this one.
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