Film Review - My Cousin Rachel (12A)

She has done for me at last - Rachel, my torment.

Such are the words written to Philip, the hapless hero of this story, by the older male cousin who raised him into adulthood. Philip's cousin Ambrose has travelled to Italy from England on his doctor's advice, where he fell in love with and married his mysterious cousin Rachel. In the final correspondence of his life, however, he claims she is trying to kill him. The delusion of a dying man, or a terrifying reality? Philip has to decide, when Ambrose's widow arrives on the Cornish coast, desirous to meet her younger relative.

My Cousin Rachel is a lesser-known novel by Daphne du Maurier, best remembered for her mystery romances Rebecca and Jamaica Inn and short stories Don't Look Now and The Birds. A previous version of the film was released in 1952 - and no, I hadn't heard of it, despite its starring Richard Burton and Olivia de Havilland as the eponymous Rachel. 

This time around the role is taken on - superbly so - by the character's namesake Rachel Weisz. The Rachel of the film is demure and flirtatious by turns - socially and sexually liberated by the standards of her day. Either she's a grieving widow or she's playing the part flawlessly, but whatever the truth she's also alluring enough to draw in both the audience and callow young Philip. The latter's initial hostility towards his possibly murderous cousin gives way inevitably to a whole other kind of feeling. Weisz's role demands sustained ambiguity and she plays it to a tee.

Meanwhile Philip, played by Sam Claflin (check my recent review of Their Finest), is headstrong and immature. He's still very much a boy despite his adult appearance, one who struggles not to be submerged in the emotional wave brought by his older cousin. He is backed up by Game of Thrones' ever-steady Iain Glen, the wary godfather who counsels caution, and by Holliday Granger as Glen's daughter, the sweet, patient girl with whom Philip should be in love. (How often is life that simple?)

The whole film has a strong Gothic feel to it - beautifully shot and rich in 19th century period detail. This is one good-looking feature. If it begins with bright Cornish vistas, it gradually descends into candlelit murk as doubt and paranoia start to grip. The camerawork is beautifully judged, particularly when Philip's hold on reality starts to slip. If there's one flaw, it's that director Roger Michell is too much in love with the world he's creating (or with Rachel), at the expense of the story's pacing. The movie could pick up its heels at points, like one of the many horses seen galloping along the Cornish cliffs. Maybe I'm too much in love with the concise storytelling of last month's Lady Macbeth, complete with its own femme fatale.

The movie is still largely a success, however, due in no small part to Weisz. You're likely to be swept along by her spirited independence, willing her to be better than portrayed in those early letters, but suffering the same confusion as poor Philip. If you're a fan of the enigmatic, you're going to love cousin Rachel.

Ed's Verdict: Atmospheric film-making with a stately pace and an inscrutable central performance. Rachel rocks Rachel.