Beautiful setting can't disguise a wasted plot

Who knows whether the author or the screenwriter is at fault for the poor plot of a novel adapted to fill the big screen. Whoever's fault it is, in "The Golden Bowl," from the novel by Henry James, someone needs to shoulder the hefty blame.\nCentered around a poorly crafted, knock them in the head with anti-subtlety metaphor, this early-1900s film lacks any sort of punch. Like one of those overdone and formal castles towering in the scenery, "Bowl" boasts a beautiful setting with an too-dramatic and drawn out plot. \nCharlotte (Uma Thurman) falls in love with poor Italian Prince Amerigo (Jeremy Northam) and cannot live without him. But the prince decides that he is too poor to marry Charlotte and sidles up to the daughter of a rich American Adam Verver (Nick Nolte). Amerigo marries sweet Maggie Verver (Kate Beckinsale), who happens to be Charlotte's best friend. \nThe rest of the movie consists of Charlotte following Amerigo and trying to win back his affections. She even goes so far as to marry Maggie's widowed father to be close to Amerigo. Cascading in lies and intense emotions, Charlotte spends as much time alone with Amerigo as she can until her in-laws become suspicious. \nWith even more blatant metaphors and a plot that could have been shortened, "The Golden Bowl" throws away the knockout it could have delivered. The movie could be interesting enough if it wasn't 130 minutes long and bleary-eyed dramatic. Granted, the mess Charlotte is in is worthy of some drama, but the characters only prompted me to leave without bothering to notice the credits.\nThe two spotlight stars of the film are actually the set and backing music. With ornate castle-homes and clothing, the movie at least bore witness to something interesting and beautiful to look at. Richard Robbins composed a compelling soundtrack for the movie with wonderful instrumentation.\nIn the end, the first metaphor expanded even more: this "Golden Bowl" has more than one crack.