Angels and Insects (1995)

William Adamson, a young scientist, is introduced into the aristocratic family Alabaster by reverend Alabaster who is also fascinated by insects. William marries the older daughter of the family and studies the amounts of insects in the garden of the villa. His - for the aristocrats - strange behaviours reveal at the same time their own failures and passions. Beautifully filmed and acted, working from a screenplay co-written by Philip Haas and Belinda Haas (adapted from the novel, `Morpho Eugenia,' by A.S. Byatt), director Haas sets a deliberate pace, which along with the stunning cinematography of Bernard Zitzermann, gives the film a riveting, hypnotic effect.

As Adamson, Mark Rylance lends a quiet, personable charm that works perfectly for his portrayal of this man who has seen, perhaps, too much of the world, and as a result, by choice takes that which is pleasing to him at face value. It's an honest depiction of a just man, who views the world about him objectively and without judgment, which in the end, of course, is to his detriment. It is the quiet strength of Rylance's performance, however, that makes it so effective and emotionally involving.

Patsy Kensit does an admirable job of capturing the angst of Eugenia, this young woman who lives in a seemingly perpetual state of inner-turmoil. She creates a character that is sympathetic, but who evokes little empathy, which is quite in keeping with who Eugenia really is, the woman hiding behind the same mask that guards her unbearable secret. And it's effective work, too, inasmuch as she presents Eugenia as fragile, but not too vulnerable, which goes far in establishing the true nature of her character.

It is Kristen Scott Thomas, however, who gives the most memorable performance of all, as Matty Crompton, a member of Sir Harald's extended family. Scott Thomas, so extraordinary in such films as `The English Patient' and `Random Hearts,' has never been better than she is here. Her portrayal of Matty is entirely honest, presented in terms that are so effectively subtle and understated, and which align so perfectly with the discerning approach Haas takes, that she successfully elicits the empathy of the viewer. This is, without question, an Oscar-worthy performance, coincidentally coming in the same year that Scott Thomas was nominated for Best Actress for her work in `The English Patient.' It goes without saying that it was an incredible, memorable year for this incredible actor.

The supporting cast includes Douglas Henshall (in an extremely noteworthy performance as Eugenia's brother, Edgar), Annette Badland (Lady Alabaster), Chris Larkin (Robin), Anna Massey (Mrs. Mead), Saskia Wickham (Rowena), Clare Redman (Amy) and Paul Ready (Tom). The metaphor of the ant colony makes a thought provoking statement about the potential for dysfunction among the higher, more `intelligent' life forms in the absence of moral discipline and the responsibility carried by Man as the most highly evolved of all creatures. Engaging entertainment and much more, `Angels and Insects' is a plea for humanity to be the best that we can possibly be. And it's the magic of the movies. 9/10.