S African Dir Roger Michell's "My Cousin Rachel" Stars Rachel Weisz and Sam Clafin

Roger Michell's (b S. African 1956) film adaptation of Daphne du Maurier (b UK '1907-1989) feels like a sumptuous PBS masterpiece series.  The film captures the rich English landscape & the wealthy aristocracy with their charmed lives & their subservient staff during the early 20th C.   Du Murier's novels combine romance, intrigue and strong female heroines.  Her novel "Rebecca" was made into a signature film noir classic.  The cinematography is intoxicating with candle lit interiors and radiant scenery.   "My Cousin Rachel" is a haunting tale of romance, deception & intrigue.  Phillip (Sam Clafin, the handsome actor in "You Before Me") is adopted by his older cousin, Master Ambrose, as an infant & raised lovingly as his son.  Phillip remains at the country estate when Ambrose travels to Italy to improve his health.  Phillip receives surprising correspondences from Ambrose stating he's fallen in love with a wonderful woman & they have married.   Phillip receives another ominous, encrypted letter from Ambrose complaining of ill health & being constrained by his bride, Rachel (Acad Award winner Rachel Weisz).  The letter asks Phillip to come immediately.   Phillip travels immediately to Florence only to discover his beloved father has died and Rachel is nowhere to be found.  Knowing nothing about his father's widow, he's filled with rage & contempt.  Until she appears at the English manor and her comely appearance & coquettish flirtations soon have him smitten.  Phillip presumes Rachel will become betrothed to him & is so confident of their love he rashly has legal papers drawn turning the entire estate over to Rachel.  The film's romance is captivating.  However, Phillip soon feels himself betrayed & outplayed by Rachel who now holds all the cards.  There's still plenty that leaves one with doubt.  Did she or didn't she?  Whose to say?  This movie will enchant female fans of PBS' series like Downton Abbey.  However, it may feel overly drawn out & tedious for many.  I savored this dark, mysterious & lush time piece.  As Daphne du Maurier herself said, "Women want love to be a novel, men a short story."