Enchanted April

Previously filmed in 1935 with Ann Harding, Enchanted April, a romantic novel by Elizabeth, was remade in 1992. The first film skips along superficially at 66 minutes: the second, directed by the always intriguing Mike Newell, runs 101 minutes, allowing for richer characterizations and a bottomless ...more

Essentially a Merchant-Ivory production made without the participation of either Ismail Merchant or James Ivory, Enchanted April is a charming period piece that delivers on the enchantment implied in its title. Mike Newell has directed in a delicate, almost fragile style that imbues the film with an ethereal, magical atmosphere that is hard to resist. This is the kind of balancing act that is much harder to pull off than it looks -- one false utterance, inappropriate gesture, or anachronistic ...more