"Featuring many hallmarks of classic romantic comedy, including blackmail, mistaken identity and the token small dog, A Good Woman can be enjoyed at whatever level you like, and is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud." Marianne Close AUFS REVIEWS "Elegant, witty and wonderfully acted." Now Magazine "Set in the ‘30s, I guarantee you’ll love every minute of this wickedly funny rom-com, thanks to loads of the snappy one-liners Wilde was renowned for, including one of his most famous, 'I can resist anything but temptation'." MIRROR.CO.UK "Wicked, witty and wise. Hunt and Johansson sparkle." Uncut Magazine "Howard Himelstein's script retains many of Wilde's bons mots, which are witty enough to amuse any generation, while transposing the action from the two London drawing rooms in which the original 'Fan' unfolded to the far more appealing backdrop of Amalfi's Mediterranean coastline." Anton Bitel MOVIE GAZETTE

"Enjoyable, well made period drama with a witty, engaging script and strong performances from Johansson, Hunt and Wilkinson." Matthew Turner VIEW LONDON "Sumptuous, gorgeous, a joy to watch." Grazia Magazine "Remarkably, delightfully, given the risks taken by the production, this film is a total success in every respect. Sympathetic, vulnerable, scheming, manipulative, incredibly complicated and layered, Hunt's Mrs. Erlynne is a complete creation, never less than entirely credible and totally involving." Scott Andrews FILM FOCUS UK "A must see deliciously satisfying film." Marie Claire Magazine "Reminiscent of A Room With A View, A Good Woman evokes a bygone age of deliciously divine decadence." BBC FILM REVIEWS

The Inside Story

"Full of zesty barbarous language and wordplay, it reminds me of why Wilde is so revered. This adaptation ended up by turning me into a fan." IOFILM REVIEW UK

If you enjoyed films such as "An Ideal Husband", "The Importance of Being Earnest", "The Cats Meow" and Stephen Fry's "Bright Young Things", the odds are highly in your favour when it comes to Helen Hunt's new movie, "A Good Woman". Witty, romantic, charming, beautifully shot on location in Italy, this adaptation of Oscar Wildes "Lady Windermere's Fan" [which by the way Wilde originally titled "A Good Woman"] is a wickedly indulgent film that Wilde himself would take great delight in. While "A Good Woman" is highly reflective of the Wilde play "Lady Windermere's Fan" there have been a number of changes. The location has been shifted from England to the Amalfi coast in Italy and the three lead characters are now Americans. It will most probably outrage the Wilde purists but for most audience these changes will add a little more appeal. The production team have, by incorporating a mix of moneyed, upper crust British and American well to do's, given a lot more contrast to the characters in the finished product. "As originally scripted, the story was to take place in the south of France, but for logistical reasons, we moved the action to Italy’s Amalfi coast," says scriptwriter Howard Himelstein. "A change I am happy we made. I also felt that there was no reason why all of the main characters had to be English. By making Meg and Steve Windermere, and Mrs Erlynne Americans, I’ve opened the story up to a more international audience." So why change the original title? "In making the Windermere’s American, I realized, for obvious reasons, that we could no longer use the title Lady Windermere's Fan," Himelstein said. "So, I went back to Oscar Wilde’s original title, "A Good Woman", which reflects the story’s astute social criticism, but also contains a double-edged irony." Director Mike Barker recalls, "We set "A Good Woman" in Italy and updated the original play to the 1930s, to add a beautiful backdrop to what was originally a parlour piece. The period update was to help the storyline feel more current and immediate, and to remove it from the moral corset of it's original setting." Another big plus for the film is the fact that the ensemble cast all gel together wonderfully on the screen. There's Academy Award ® winning actress Helen Hunt who stars in the lead role as the notorious Mrs Erlynne. It's a role that suits the actress who scored an Oscar for "As Good As It Gets" well. Probably because like Annette Benning in "Being Julia", Hunt's age is closely reflected in that of the character she plays. "Hunt signed up to the project early on in the process, her understanding of the character was instrumental in the development of the script," Barker says. "I feel very lucky to have worked with her in this film, and would love to repeat the experience again." Scarlett Johansson, fresh from success with "Lost In Translation" and "In Good Company" is ideal as the young, over-trusting Lady Windermere who is summering with her husband on the Italian coast. Johansson has that quality of apparent naïvety which makes her tailor made for the role. "We were also lucky to have Scarlett Johansson, whose two earlier films had not been released in Europe at the time," notes Barker. "As everyone knows, she has since gone massive." Then there's Stephen Campbell Moore in the role of Lord Darlington. It is Moore who puts the Wilde stamp on "A Good Woman". Moore plays Darlington like an aging Wilde and has wonderful lines in the film. "When Stephen Campbell Moore read for the part I gave him the role immediately," Barker said. The fourth standout is Independent Spirit Award Winner Tom Wilkinson who is memorable in all his roles, just as he is here playing the lonely, twice divorced Tuppy. Wilkinson has had some marvellous roles over the years including "The Full Monty", "In The Bedroom", "Oscar and Lucinda" and "Stage Beauty". Wilkinson recently appeared with Scarlett Johansson in another period piece, "Girl With A Pearl Earring". Viewers will probably get a feeling deep down inside that Wilkinson is the steadying influence in "A Good Woman." Barker certainly thinks so. By noting "Tom Wilkinson is the rock in this movie. A simple and honest character that roots the film, despite all the dishonesty, immorality and emotional chaos that ensues", he has given Wilkinson plenty of kudos. Reflecting on the finished product Barker notes, "A Good Woman is an ensemble piece, but it is Oscar Wilde who takes centre stage, and the film is shot simply and elegantly to reflect his dialogue, and his story." Sound tempting. Well if you're tossing over whether you should take in "A Good Woman" consider these words from Oscar Wilde. "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it." The Wit of Oscar Wilde

Sausages and woman – if you want to enjoy them, never watch the preparation of either. ----------------------------- On the marriage ceremony. Do you know why they call it an altar? It's where they make human sacrifice. ----------------------------- A man should never buy his wife jewellery; it makes you wonder what he bought his mistress. ----------------------------- Mrs Erlynne to Lady Windamere on a revealing dress. "I need an opinion." Lady Windamere. "It doesn't leave much to the imagination" Mrs Erlynne. "Depends on the imagination." ----------------------------- Crying is the refuge of plain women. Pretty women go shopping. ----------------------------- I can't always explain myself to myself, let alone anyone else. ----------------------------- If we were always guided by other people's thoughts what's the point in having our own? ----------------------------- Marital bliss is a great burden to place on two people; sometimes a third person is needed to lighten the load. ----------------------------- Once a wife has been betrayed she has the right to do likewise. -----------------------------

Crew Bytes "A GOOD WOMAN" was .......
directed by Mike Barker ["Eddie and the East Coast Bouffants", "The James Gang", "Best Laid Plans" and "To Kill A King"]; screenplay by Howard Himelstein ["Power of Attorney"]; adapted from "Lady Windermere's Fan" by Oscar Wilde ["A Woman of No Importance", "An Ideal Husband", "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "The Importance of Being Earnest"]; costume design by John Bloomfield ["Conan the Barbarian", "The Phantom of the Opera", "Waterworld" and "The Mummy"]; production design by Ben Scott ["Creatures of Light", "Warrior Queen" and "Ripley Under Ground"]; set decoration by Barbara Cicero ["El Alamein: The Line of Fire", "Equilibrium", "Love's Brother" and "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou"] Marina Pinzuti ["Love in the Mirror ", "Once Upon A Time In Sicily" and "The Card Player"]; edited by Neil Farrell ["Galleria", "A Midwinter's Tale", "Ravenous" and "Mindhunters"]; cinematography by Ben Seresin ["The James Gang", "Best Laid Plans", "Circus" and "Terminator 3"]; original music by Richard G Mitchell ["Born American", "The Bridge", "To Kill a King" and "Grand Theft Parsons"] the producers include Alan Greenspan ["Donnie Brasco", "200 Cigarettes", "Pushing Tin" and "My Little Eye"] and Jonathan English ["So This Is Romance?", "Married/Unmarried", "The Poet" and "Emile"]. Casting About "A GOOD WOMAN" stars .......
Helen Hunt ["Peggy Sue Got Married", "Mr. Saturday Night", "Twister", "What Women Want", "Castaway" and "The Curse of the Jade Scorpion"]; Scarlett Johansson ["North", "The Horse Whisperer", "Ghost World", "Eight Legged Freaks", "The Perfect Score" and "In Good Company"]; Stephen Campbell Moore ["Bright Young Things"]; Mark Umbers ["Love Is the Devil"]; Milena Vukotic ["Matilda", "Fantozzi in paradiso", "No Spring Chicken" and "Pictures Deep in One's Eyes"]; Diana Hardcastle ["Sweetnightgoodheart" and "If Only"]; Roger Hammond ["The Madness of King George", "The Secret Agent", "Bedazzled" and "Around the World in 80 Days"]; Jane How ["AKA"]; John Standing ["Chaplin", "The Man Who Knew Too Little", "Queen's Messenger I & II" and "Jack Brown and the Curse of the Crown"]; Bruce McGuire ["Batman", "Frankenstein Unbound", "Blue Tornado" and "Space Off"] and Tom Wilkinson ["Paper Mask", "Prince of Jutland", "Sense and Sensibility", "Rush Hour" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"] as Tuppy. What It's All About

"Oscar Wilde's social satire steps out of the parlor with mixed, if extremely witty, results." ..... Michael Rechtshaffen THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Mrs Erlynnes time is up. Her credit has been cut off thanks to the wives of three wealthy men she has been entertaining. Forced to sell her jewellery Mrs Erlynne heads by ship for the Italian Riviera where the wealthy are summering. Her target is Robert Windemere. She quickly makes contact with him and begins a liaison. It doesn't go unnoticed and is soon the subject of much gossip. Lord Darlington is a notorious womaniser and he would like nothing better than to seduce the young Lady Windemere. Twice married and divorced Lord Augustus Tuppy on the other hand is instantly attracted to Mrs Erlynne. He's lonely and the prospect of making Mrs Erlynne his wife is something he finds well worth considering. With gossip rife and Lord Darlington sowing the seeds of doubt about her husbands infidelity, Lady Windemere struggles to hold her head high. When a party to celebtrate her twenty first birthday results in a confrontation between her and Robert, Meg Windermere decides that she will elope with Lord Darlington. Mrs Erlynne thinks otherwise. She must somehow ensure Megs reputation as a good woman isn't tarnished by a needless scandal. It may be too late. The Verdict "Witty, romantic, charming, beautifully shot on location in Italy, this adaptation of Oscar Wildes play "Lady Windermere's Fan" is a wickedly indulgent film that Wilde himself would take great delight in. The cast, headed by Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Stephen Campbell Moore and the inimitable Tom Wilkinson are superb, as are the supporting actors and actresses. A refreshing and invigorating film that lifts the spirits. Put this on your must see list. Highly recommended." The Cast

Helen Hunt Scarlett Johansson Tom Wilkinson Stephen Campbell Moore Mark Umbers Milena Vukotic Diana Hardcastle Roger Hammond Jane How Giorgia Massetti John Standing Bruce McGuire

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Mrs Erlynne Lady Windermere Tuppy Lord Darlington Robert Windemere Contessa Lucchino Lady Plymdale Cecil Mrs Stutfield Alessandra Dumby Joe

The Crew Directed by Mike Barker Adapted from Oscar Wilde's play "Lady Windermere's Fan" Screenplay by Howard Himelstein Produced by Mark Albela/Alan Greenspan/Howard Himelstein/Denise O'Dell/Steven Siebert Original Music by Richard G Mitchell Cinematography by Ben Seresin Film Editing by Neil Farrell Production Design by Ben Scott Set Decoration by Barbara Cicero & Marina Pinzuti Costume Design by John Bloomfield Production Managers Andrea Costantini & Marco Greco Run Time 93 minutes Rated PG [AUST] Copyright ©2005 - Vertigo Films - All Rights Reserved Copyright Protected ENDURING© - The Movie Pages & Impact Internet Services - All Rights Reserved