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A good woman - Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mike Barker

Threat advisory: Elevated - Significant risk of entertaining activities

Movie propaganda

Every saint has a past. Every sinner has a future.

Mrs Erlynne (Helen Hunt), at the conclusion of yet another affair and financially exhausted, leaves New York ostensibly to exploit Robert (Mark Umbers) and Meg Windermere (Scarlett Johansson), a young but high-profile couple of the 1930s, at their fashionable vacation scene on the Amalfi Coast. Her seduction seems effective when Robert begins writing her cheques that conveniently sustain her life style while the local aristocracy buzzes with conjecture. Meg becomes the love object of Lord Darlington (Stephen Campbell Moore), while Mrs Erlynne confuses the social perspective by a dalliance with Tuppy (Tom Wilkinson), a portly millionaire who decides to court her.

Meanwhile, Mrs Erlynne's real reason for intruding on the Windermeres is revealed, but circumstantially concealed. Meg's fan, a gift from Robert, becomes a central character as the metaphor for clandestine behaviours, infidelity, social frivolity and ultimately commitment. The witty, romantic comedy is inspired by Oscar Wilde's Lady Windermere's fan, and the spark of the film is Tom Wilkinson's performance, skilfully directed by Mike Barker in the visually sumptuous setting of Ravello.

Target demographic movie keyword propaganda

Film comedy manners romance Oscar Wilde Windemere redemption thirties aristocracy

Persons of interest

Helen Hunt .... Mrs Erlynne
Scarlett Johansson .... Meg Windermere
Tom Wilkinson .... Tuppy
Stephen Campbell Moore .... Lord Darlington
Mark Umbers .... Robert Windemere
Milena Vukotic .... Contessa Lucchino
Diana Hardcastle .... Lady Plymdale
Roger Hammond .... Cecil
Jane How .... Mrs Stutfield
Giorgia Massetti .... Alessandra
John Standing .... Dumby
Bruce McGuire .... Joe
Oscar Wilde .... Playwright: Lady Windermere's fan
Howard Himelstein .... Screenwriter
Mike Barker .... Director

Cinematic intelligence sources

A good woman official movie site
A good woman film production notes (.rtf)
A good woman movie trailers:

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Awards and film festivals:

Bangkok International Film Festival 2005: Windows on the World
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival 2006: Focus on British film (2000-2005)

See also An ideal husband, The importance of being earnest, Wilde
Studios and distributors:

Hopscotch Films * 21st Century Pictures

Intelligence analyst

Special Agent Matti

Theatrical report

There's not much that needs to be said about A good woman so here goes.

The bits written by Oscar Wilde are hilarious. The bits written by Howard Himelstein are ok. The inclusion of a plethora of Americans is not just dodgy, it's annoying. The Euro-actors are great. The American actors are annoying. Helen Hunt is whiny and obnoxious (I realise that that sounds like the definition for "American" but she isn't this way in other films). Scarlett Johansson is bland, as is Mark Umbers. Stephen Campbell Moore and Tom Wilkinson are delightful.

That's it. See A good woman for the British, not for the Americans.