Review - Presence of Mind/ El Celo (1999)

Also known as El Celo (translated from Spanish as "The Zealot"), this adaptation of Turn of the Screw (or rather The Innocents, since it samples some of the exact dialogue from that movie) was filmed in Spain, albeit in English.

Sadie Frost plays an unnamed, immature governess whose pastor father has just died after a lingering illness. Now on her own, she seeks a position as governess to two orphans who live on their uncle's remote estate. I mean really remote. This time, the house, Raja, is on an island off the coast of Spain, so the governess has to set sail from England. There, she meets with charming Flora and Miles and the ultra-composed Mme. Remy (Lauren Bacall).

At first, life on the estate is idyllic, but after her employer fails to make a promised visit, the governess slides toward melancholy and begins to see things that she comes to believe are the ghosts of the former governess, Miss Jessel, and the master's valet, Fosc (why not Quint?) At the same time, she becomes uncomfortably aware of the children's burgeoning sexuality, which she attributes to their being corrupted by the former servants. (Indeed, this is the most sexualized version that I've seen, though the effect is achieved through implication. In one scene, Miles helps a dolled-up Flora get dressed and they exchange a non-fraternal kiss; in another, the governess towels off a nude Miles after he's been out in a storm). As Miles grows obstinate and the governess feels her control slipping, a confrontation builds.

This is a visually beautiful adaptation with lush scenery and pretty costumes. In some ways, it reminded me of Sofia Coppola's The Beguiled in the way it prioritizes style over substance. It's an attractive film, but it adds nothing new to the basic story except for the inconsistent name changes. The ghosts tend to be more scary than subtle, but there's still room to doubt the governess's sanity.

Frost seems earnest and genuinely concerned for her charges. The governess's interactions with them are a bit more fleshed-out than in other films. Frost projects an air of being deeply wounded, though there's no overt suggestion she was abused as there is in 2004's In a Dark Place. Her relationship with her father is complicated, to say the least, and her fixation on dolls seems weird; even Flora looks askance at her. Bacall is cool and stern but not adversarial. I was surprised to see an actor of her caliber in the part. I don't count Mrs. Grose in the canon of great roles for women of a certain age, but Diana Rigg also played the character, so maybe there is something to her. Very well; I expect to see Meryl Streep in the role the next time around.

Presence of Mind is an average adaptation, elegant but not atmospheric, and plays more like an art film than a horror movie.