Beguiled – 7.5

A feminine thriller in full Southern Gothic mode, Sofia Coppola turns the cinematic tables with an almost all-female cast lusting in their separate ways for the hunky Union soldier dropped into their laps. Calling it a period piece is an understatement, as Coppola pulls out the beautiful dresses, the dripping Spanish moss, the candlelit chandeliers and the etiquette and French lessons of Miss Farnsworth’s Academy to full effect. Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning have convincing, and contrasting, Southern personalities, and Colin Farrell is best when lying supine. The story is at best an excuse for the acting and the scenery. I can see why this won a Cannes award for Best Director, not Best Picture.