MY COUSIN RACHEL review

MY COUSIN RACHEL

starring Rachel Weisz, Sam Claflin

directed by Roger Michell

A review by Helen J. Reynolds 

My Cousin Rachel is based on the book written by Daphne du Maurier (Rebecca, The Birds) and stars Rachel Weisz as the beautiful, enchanting cousin Rachel.

The beginning is a rushed and disjointed account for the early life of Philip (Sam Claflin), an orphan who has little experience of women, brought up by his bachelor uncle – a wealthy and beloved man. Fast-forward to Philip as an adult and he returns home to find his uncle ill. Recommended to warmer climates, his uncle goes alone to Italy, where he meets their cousin Rachel who he uncharacteristically falls in love with. Death follows him shortly after they marry and Philip receives a disturbing letter from his uncle that implies Rachel was behind his death...

The mystery surrounding Rachel is the source of intrigue for much of the movie and creates tension in what would otherwise be a very ordinary tale. Philip’s uncle was ill, his death certificate states a brain tumour to be the cause of his paranoid, violent behaviour prior to death and should be convincing enough. For Philip, it isn’t and he’s determined that this Rachel, this “foreign women”, is behind it all. However, she didn’t inherit a penny as the will giving her everything, written in his uncle’s hand, is unsigned. 

As a viewer we follow Philip entirely, feeding off his obsession, certain there’s a mystery to unravel and worrying for his fate as he becomes “bewitched” by Rachel and starts to feel unwell… 

There are no clear-cut answers. Does Rachel really poison her herbal teas? What causes a healthy 25-year-old man to become so suddenly ill? Is he lovesick or in danger? Is Rachel manipulating him or grieving for her husband through Philip, often likened to his late uncle? 

Uncovering her motivations provide the draw of the film, but it's made difficult as her way of thinking is so opposite to the protagonists. He tries at every turn to take control of the situation -and thereby control of Rachel- but she is like no woman he’s ever known. 

Gossip and Philip’s hallucinations fuel a picture of a fallen woman – Rachel is rumoured to be a temptress with an “insatiable passion”, though the only real time we see Rachel having sex, there’s little to suggest it’s her pleasure or even her choice. 

A very feminist movie with an interesting choice of perspective that really drives the film. Rachel’s actions may seem suspicious or sometimes cold (she doesn’t play the part of lover when Philip wants her to), but her desire to be a free agent puts her in the position of mistrust and, though her character is made out to be dangerous, the only violence shown in the movie are acts of aggression towards her. 

A combination of:
Love and Friendship (2016)
The Crimson Petal and the White (2011)
Rebecca (1940)

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