One may shudder as Cousin Bette pursues her relentless machinations for revenge because of spurned love, but a chuckle is always bubbling somewhere beneath other emotions. Some patience is needed, however, to savor the good qualities of the film. Cast, story, suspense are all to the good, but the editing is about as bad as it gets among contemporary films, and the photography is only marginally acceptable. I reached for the remote more than once, but finally stuck it out to the end. Jessica's performance was worth the other miseries.
Review of Cousin Bette
