An intricately plotted tale of thwarted love and betrayal, "The Golden Bowl" tells the story of an extravagantly rich American widower and his sheltered daughter, both of whom marry only to discover that their respective mates, a beautiful American expatriate and an impoverished Italian aristocrat, are entangled with one another in a romantic intrigue of seduction and deceit.
Makes the viewer wish that Ivory had cast a more accomplished actress -- Kate Winslet, perhaps, or Cate Blanchett -- who could give dimension to the character and indicate subtext in a way that Thurman can't.
– Edward Guthmann,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 May 2001
rotten:
It is beautifully, dramatically and grandly long, tedious, boring and slow.
– Pam Sitt,
Seattle Times,
18 May 2001
rotten:
In this movie, all displays of passion feel like gaudy pantomime.
– Geoff Pevere,
Toronto Star,
18 May 2001
fresh:
coiled, nuanced, resonant tale.
– Susan Stark,
Detroit News,
25 May 2001
rotten:
It suffers mightily from its deliberate pacing, pale characterizations, obvious plot and some woeful miscasting.