From Valerie Martin's novel, a surprisingly literate and serious-minded drama about a housemaid (Julia Roberts) working in the residence of creepy Dr. Jekyll (John Malkovich); she's inexplicably drawn to him and his dark experiments, slowly earning his trust and becoming his after-hours confidante. One wouldn't think this downbeat material suitable for mega-watt star Roberts, but her lead performance is fragile, low-keyed and admirable; her Irish accent quavers, and in her quest to become this meek woman she loses her innate sweetness, yet it's still respectable work. Malkovich, on the other hand, is terribly one-note, and the film waits too long to spring surprises on us (they're all in the final act). Director Stephen Frears loves a romantically gloomy atmosphere, and his picture is absorbing and handsomely-made, but it may leave many viewers feeling testy and impatient. **1/2 from ****
Review of Mary Reilly
