Vanity Fair

UK Release: 14th January 2005

Watched on DVD: Friday 13th April

Rating: PG

Genre: Drama

Runtime: 2hrs 21mins

Tagline: In a time of social climbers, Becky Sharp is a mountaineer.

IMDb Plot Synopsis: Growing up poor in London, Becky Sharp (Witherspoon) defies her poverty-stricken background and ascends the social ladder alongside her best friend, Amelia.

A Quick Review: The first thing I must say about Vanity Fair is that is very long (!), but if you embark on the journey it could be said to be an 'epic'. Yet without Reese Witherspoon I’m afraid this film would not be anywhere near as engaging as the plot lagged at times. The main selling point of this film has to be not only the voluptuous period detail but the fantastic acting on show were the biggest delight - highlights being Romola Garai, Jonathan Rees Myers and James Purefoy. In fact, if you’re looking to get your teeth into a good period film then this may well be the one for you.

It didn’t thrill me as much as I remembered from my first viewing a few years ago but it is still a decent film that is worth a watch...

Score: 7/10