There are hints of the attraction Connie has for Parkin from the moment she sees him bathing, shirtless, from a distance, but his attraction to her does not become evident until much later in the film. Once revealed, however, the two embark on a passionate love affair and eventually fall in love with each other.

The film is beautifully shot, with extensive attention given to the natural surroundings of Wragby throughout the four seasons, which are the only real indication in the film that any time has passed at all. The plot is also exceedingly slow to develop, and once it does, never really reaches a climactic point or a dramatic resolution, settling instead for a very understated end. This would be fine, except for the fact that, at 168 minutes (just under three hours), the lack of action (minus the sex scenes, which include full frontal nudity, male and female) makes for a very tedious experience.

Had Ferran done a better job of editing the film, I feel that the subtlety of the film would be better appreciated, and that I would have enjoyed myself more. The performances by all the main characters are terrific. Marina Hands is luminous and stunning in her performance as Constance, and Jean-Louis Coullo'ch brings an unexpected tenderness to his portrayal of Parkin, and Hippolyte Giradot remains somewhat of a mystery as Sir Clifford.

My other main quibble with this film is that it makes no sense. I don't mean that the film's storyline makes no sense, but the decision of Ferran to shoot a French film while remaining faithful to the English setting and character names. The village in which Wragby is situated is clearly an English one as the shop names indicate, and the characters names (Clifford, Connie, Mrs. Bolton, etc) sound downright peculiar in French. If I had to guess, I would say Ferran wanted to remain entirely faithful to the setting and character names of the book, but since he is French, decided to shoot in French, but it makes very little sense on a logical level.

Overall verdict: A beautifully shot film, but long and slow moving.

3/5 stars