The two best assets are the music score and Ralph Fiennes' Heathcliff. Sinead O'Connor does a lovely job as Bronte herself. Janet McTeer stands out in support, Jeremy Northam doesn't have enough screen-time but he plays the tormentor-to-tormented character of Hindley to a tee and Jason Riddington is a charming Hareton. Her chemistry with Fiennes is intense and moving, the scenes on the moors are beautifully done. Binoche's acting is much improved and she is every bit the self-centred and spiteful Cathy, even without make-up too she is astonishingly pretty. That it included the events after Cathy's death is most laudable. With it too there is a real sense of broodiness and tragedy. The script is literate and emotional, the famous lines that are included are very well delivered and the story for the first half at least is coherent and respective of Emily Bronte's writing. The film is a stunner visually though, the photography is very fluid, the costumes are true to period, most of the make-up and hair is fine though Heathcliff's hair is far too straight and greasy and with the locations you can really feel and smell the atmosphere of the Yorkshire moors. The ending is also far too abrupt and bittersweet and Juliette Binoche did seem too shallow and classy to start with, the giggling was indeed too much. If the film was longer than it was it would have helped. The main problem with the film is that it's very rushed which is why the supporting characters(the Lintons in particular, it did affect Simon Shepherd as Edgar too as there is very little sense of meekness which is a huge part of the character) don't get enough time to shine properly with a come and go vibe and why some of the second half felt jumpy narratively. None of the adaptations are bad, even my least favourite the 2011 film and while there is a lot wrong this film adaptation isn't a bad one either. Such contrasts effectively convey the eternal dichotomy of human love.Not the best version of Emily Bronte's masterpiece, on their own terms of the ones personally seen so far the Laurence Olivier and Robert Cavannagh get that honour. It portrayed how love can evoke pity and repulsion, blending passion with destruction, and life with death. Having said that, the film managed to develop the theme of love/hate with extreme ferocity. She killed any sense of sexual tension and her acting seemed out of keeping with the others'. This made her character quite difficult to understand and I found it hard to imagine how the brooding, precarious Heathcliff could be so infatuated with her. At times, she over-acted whilst at others she lacked any expression at all. Whilst Fiennes exploded in scenes such as breaking into the chapel, I found Binoche very stilted in her "emotional" scenes. Indeed, without Fiennes, the film would have been too under-rated and even slow. However, the film's quality came from the amazing performance of Ralph Fiennes whose sexual magnetism and intensity stole the screen. Supporting cast were notable, particularly Janet McTeer and Simon Shepherd, who was very touching at times, especially with young Catherine. The film was visually a masterpiece, capturing essential decadence in its set and on location in Yorkshire. The screenplay was very good and at times even excellent, although I would not put it in the same league as "Dangerous Liaisons". After all these impressive reviews, there is not much else for me to say except that, on the whole, this film worked for me.
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