My Cousin Rachel

Dir Roger Michell, UK/US 2017 On UK release

When Philip is orphaned as a young child, his cousin Ambrose becomes his guardian and a strong bond is formed. As the years go by, Ambrose begins to spend his winters abroad, and in Italy falls in love with their cousin Rachel (Rachel Weisz) and soon marries her. Shortly after the wedding, Ambrose dies, and once Rachel is due to arrive back in England, Philip (Sam Claflin) is determined to confront her about his suspicion that she orchestrated Ambrose’s death. However, once Philip lays eyes on Rachel, he is taken aback by her beauty and soon becomes infatuated with her; he begins to reconsider his suspicions – but should he?

The new film adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s 1951 novel boasts an impressive yet subdued period-piece quality and high production values. Rachel Weisz is her usual compelling and competent self in her portrayal of the eponymous female lead, and Sam Claflin does his utmost to match her performance, ensuring that the chemistry between the two largely works and keeps the audience interested in their interactions.

However, while the film is well put together, there is not quite enough tension to keep viewers consistently engaged. Conveying the suspicions, doubts and misconceptions of Philip relies solely on Claflin’s performance, with the accompanying cast adding little to challenge his point of view. One therefore wonders if a more seasoned actor as the male lead could potentially have added subtler nuances to the portrayal of the character, just as allowing the supporting characters to react to his behaviour more dramatically could have elevated this into a more gripping piece of cinema.