My Cousin Rachel (2017)

• Year: 2017
• Released: 09 Jun 2017
• Country: United Kingdom, United States
• Adwords: 1 win & 4 nominations
• IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4411596/
• Rotten Tomatoes: https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/my_cousin_rachel
• Metacritics: https://www.metacritic.com/movie/my-cousin-rachel
• Available in: 720p, 1080p,
• Language: English, Italian
• MPA Rating: PG-13
• Genre: Drama, Mystery, Romance
• Runtime: 106 min
• Writer: Roger Michell, Daphne Du Maurier
• Director: Roger Michell
• Cast: Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin, Holliday Grainger
• Keywords: based on novel or book, love, remake, suspicion, cornwall, england,

	6.0/10
	63/100
	60% – Critics
	72% – Audience

My Cousin Rachel Storyline

Orphaned young, Philip was raised as if his son by childless uncle Ambrose Ashly, who never brought women in their lives, until he was sent for medical reasons to a Mediterranean climate, fell in love with half-Italian cousin Rachel and wed her in Florence. Philip receives a worrying letter suggesting Ambrose is in mortal danger, blaming his wife and her ‘diabolic’ lawyer friend Rainaldi. Ambrose is dead by the time Philip arrives there, but remained the sole heir as a testament in her sole favor wasn’t passed before the notary. He prepares he widow an icy welcome, but falls instantly in love the day she arrives on the large Ashley estate. Against his godfather, attorney Nick Kendall, also father of his only, now practically ignored female friend Louise, besotted Philip resolves to claim from the estate he’s about to inherit reaching majority to give to Rachel, who becomes his lover. Trusting blindly in love, he prepares a document transferring Ambrose’s entire estate to her unless she remarries, but the result is chillingly disappointing, like emerging evidence that Ambrose suspected her of poisoning him.

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My Cousin Rachel Movie Reviews

My perfect cousin

“My Cousin Rachel” based on the Daphne Du Maurier novel, is a satisfyingly traditional murder mystery with a did she or didn’t she riddle at its heart and an equally traditional love story thrown-in for good measure.

The “she” in question is of course the Rachel of the title, played by Rachel Weisz, as the recently dispossessed widow of the adored cousin of Philip Ridley, a young man soon to come of age and who by dint of his cousin’s failure to leave a will and the archaic law of the time which meant a man’s estate must bypass his wife and in the absence of any children go to his nearest male relative, inherits everything.

However a cryptic note from beyond the grave which reaches him casts doubt on the widow’s part in the deceased cousin’s death and fired up by rage and revenge, young Ridley determines to have it out with her only to fall victim to her older, feminine wiles as a relationship starts to blossom between them. All goes well, until the day she gives him the ultimate coming-of-age birthday gift and then suddenly it seems changes towards him, as he gallantly if impetuously makes her a gift of the estate. Worse yet, he starts to fall ill just like his cousin before him and finally starts listening to the warnings coming from his guardian and his daughter, Louise, the latter of whom is obviously in love with him.

There are a fair number of plot holes to be overlooked if you want to enjoy the film, like the way incriminating beyond-the-grave letters keep turning up from his late cousin, the way that Ridley falls ill just like his cousin did, seemingly after tasting Rachel’s very own special brew and why the keen rider that she is couldn’t keep her horse away from a not-that-dangerous cliff-edge. Perhaps I’m reading too much into that little glint in the eye of Louise at the end-credit sequence with her now safely married to her man, but I think her possible culpability, however faint, seems a more plausible outcome than Rachel’s apparent innocence after the latter leaves such a guilt-ridden trail.

Nicely shot in and around pretty English scenery and country house locations, well acted by Sam Claflin as the besotted young man and Weisz as the femme fatale, so long as you can excuse the various liberally-strewn red-herrings on display this was an entertaining enough, if far-fetched melodrama perhaps more redolent of old-fashioned story-telling movie-making of several decades ago, which I didn’t mind at all.

Worthwhile But Slow

Based on the Daphne DuMaurier novel, this concerns Sam Clafin, who was raised by his misogynistic cousin. The cousin falls ill and is shipped off to sunny Italy to recover. Imagine Sam’s surprise when he writes about how he has fallen in love and married! Further letters take a darker, paranoid turn, and when he goes to Italy to investigate, his cousin is dead and the widow has disappeared. Sam returns to England to resume the life he has envisioned, when up pops Rachel Weisz, who quickly charms the dogs and then him. He gives her everything, then develops his own dark suspicions about the tisanes she gives him to drink.

After a while in the dark, I developed the feeling that the movie would be admirable, if only it showed any sign of getting on with it. Set during the Regency, it offers beautiful clothes and country scenery, and a typically fine performance by Miss Weisz. After the first eight months of sitting in the theater, I noticed its slow pace. After a year or two it ended. Imagine my surprise when I got out and discovered that through some time-warp effect, it was only a couple of hours!

The Beguiled

My Cousin Rachel benefits from wonderful photography, costumes and art direction but is a listless bland adaptation of the Daphne du Maurier book.

Rachel Weisz plays the captivating widow Rachel who pits her wits against Philip Ashley (Sam Claflin) not yet showing any maturity or even intelligence. Philip was going to task Rachel for her role on the death of his cousin and guardian Ambrose in Italy.

When Philip meets Rachel he is instantly enchanted, the relationship becomes lusty but then doubts creep in. Does she have an Italian lover? Is she trying to poison him? Philip plans to hand over the fortune he has got from Ambrose on to Rachel with no thought as to how he is going to make his way through nineteenth century England without a pot to urinate in.

Philip is too weak a character who easily becomes jealous and then wants to control Rachel. The ending is possibly contradictory and leaves more questions hanging. What else could explain Philip’s illness if he has not been poisoned?

Weisz gives an intriguing performance but Claflin is not able to match her.