The Governess (1998) Critic Reviews

The real wonder becomes how British filmmaker Sandra Goldbacher was able to write and direct such an accomplished, touching and original movie her first time out.Read the full review

Because the cinematography of The Governess is so richly panoramic, the movie forces you to contemplate the emotional power exerted by film.Read the full review

Sandra Goldbacher's gorgeous debut feature (shot by Ashley Rowe) stars Minnie Driver in a lovely performance as Rosina da Silva. [31 Jul 1998]Read the full review

Though not exactly dynamic, the movie offers insights into a specific culture. Ashley Rowe's photography is exquisite, and Driver has never been better. [14 Aug 1998]Read the full review

The claustrophobic, isolated Victorian household is a stage on which every nuance, however small, is noticed.Read the full review

The Governess is solidly entertaining material with enough substance to lift it above the traditional period drama.Read the full review

Minnie Driver gets a showy workout in The Governess, a beautifully crafted, if ultimately opaque, study of art, sensuality and outsider status in early Victorian England.Read the full review

The sheer intelligence and independence of spirit in Driver's busy eyes almost carry The Governess past its structural limitations. [07 Aug 1998]Read the full review

Driver, who steadfastly carries Rosina/Mary through every stormy stage of her self-discovery, is consistently better than the picture, as is Wilkinson.Read the full review