The Wyvern Mystery (2000) Reviews

• Gothic goosebumps

  BookPoet2002-07-20

  She's young, she's blonde, she's beautiful, she's embroiled in the kind of eerieness only an English manor with a grim, tight-lipped housemistress and a deep, dark secret can muster. If you want romance, mystery, twisted plots and equally twisted people--not to mention one of the best reasons ever filmed for not placing one's bed against a wall--this will not disappoint. Grand performances all around; definitely not for the younger kiddies.

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• Hell hath no fury like a squire scorned

  bkoganbing2013-02-19

  Although this films aspire to Gothic horror, the villains are quite human and operate with some quite human motives in The Wyvern Mystery. It's the tale of a young girl taken in by the local squire Derek Jacobi, treated well enough, but knowing she's not at the same level as his two blood kin sons Iain Glen and Jack Davenport. As she grows up and turns into the beautiful Naomi Watts, she falls for Glen and they marry and arouse Jacobi's ire. In fact her father was Jacobi's enemy in life and his idea of revenge was to wed and bed her and not out of love. That his own son has upset his plans makes him turn on Glen as well. Hell hath no fury like a squire scorned. They have to flee and after that tragedy follows them around. And it's not all of Jacobi's making. This Victorian story first turned up on British TV and later in America on Public Television's Mystery. The performances are first rate and the outstanding one is Naomi Watts who grows in strength and character throughout an ordeal of a life.

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• Fine Adaptation Of The Gothic Novel

  FloatingOpera72005-10-22

  J. Sheridan LeFanu was a French Gothic novelist who wrote some pretty chilling stuff in the 19th century. He is most famous for his "Carmilla" about a woman vampire. In this film adaptation from his novel "The Wyvern Mystery" Naomi Watts stars as Alice, a pretty and proper Englishwoman who has just married the man of her dreams and is a very enviable position. She is soon the mistress of a large manor complete with servants. The cast includes veteran British actor Derek Jacobi in a fantastic performance. Watts is convincing as a woman who is initially naive but matures into a strong and valiant woman who defends her family from the threat of the terrible secret the manor contains. Excellent visuals/cinematography which evoke Gothic romance/horror. It's all here- the Gothic mansion, eerie moonlight, creepy noises, a dangerous wild woman in a prison, fears of losing an infant, blood, sex and a little gore. The most impressive image for me was the candelabra dripping with blood instead of wax. This film aired in London on the BBC and appeared on American television via KCET/PBS'Mystery! hosted by the legendary British actress Vanessa Redgrave. This is a must see movie for fans of Gothic horror.

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• Does It Matter If You Put Too Many Plot Points Into a Movie?

  jmbellin2009-06-19

  This is a movie that is a serious case for a rewrite. Too many plot points, yet jumping around too much made for a movie that just couldn't settle into its mood. Imagine taking the original Godfather novel and putting ALL of it into just one film. Part of what made the Godfather movies so enjoyable was the easy pace that allowed wonderful character development. The Wyvern Mystery screenwriter couldn't decide between editing out choices and what to leave in, resulting in both too much detail and too many plot points occupying the time, leaving out real character development. At the same time, instead of wise choices for plot points, too few at critical times were left out, resulting in leaving out situational development. For example, at the beginning of the film, you see very young Alice Fairchild and then abruptly, you see the adult Alice. This left out not only her growth, but the growth in relationship between her and her guardian, the Squire. A richer establishment of their relationship would have added texture and resonance to what follows in the film. Yet, this relationship was almost totally missing other than the superficial aspects of it. The cast performances are fine. The music and some of the shots are over the top, coming from a Masterpiece Theatre feeling to suddenly horror, Friday the 13th style. They might have worked if the film's tensions had been established better, but as over the top (for a BBC film, that is) as those terror sequences are here, they are unsupported by the writing. Too bad. I really wanted to like this more. This leaves me wanting to read the book. Apparently, Charlotte Bronte, who penned Jane Eyre, was inspired by the author of the novel upon which this movie is based.

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