Cousin Bette is a very good 1840's period peice (as I am not a fan usually of period peices)where yes a miscast Jessica Lange who is strikingly beautiful at the age of 48 when she filmed this movie plays a spinster who has a family of backstabbers who treat her barely above the servants in attitude and her character taking advantage of certain situtions that come to light that help her reverse her finacinal and living arrangement woes.I don't like to give spoilers as this movie is a fun " Black Comedy" and to give away too much detail spoils this film for people who haven't had the experince of watching it. Jessica Lange is great as Cousin Bette yet an older uglier actress would've played the role more convincingly. But in that day and age if you were as old as Ms Lange character was an unmarried then you were doomed for love as her character portrays, so I guess really she isn't that miscast. Elisabeth Shue finally has done another good movie since Leaving Las Vegas and actually can hold a note suprisingly. Young actor Aden Young who was just awesome in his first film role in the movie Black Robe is equally as good here as the artist who Cousin Bette loves and upon being rejected by the boy who is young to enough to be her son then discards and uses to get ahead and gain revenge on her uncaring family members. Bob Hoskins is quite funny in this film role as is Hugh Laurie as the family father who loves Ms Shue's character Jenny Cadine the courtesan enough to flounder the family fortune. Really great black comedy.**** out of *****

and just about everyone else. Who knew that deception, treachery, and revenge could be this tedious.Although the period production design is reasonable, this film suffers from lax direction and the presence of an `international cast', with the resultant mix of accents and acting styles. Of the better known thespians, Geraldine Chaplin again demonstrates that she inherited her mother's looks but not her father's talent, whereas the best that can be said of Americans Elizabeth Shue and Jessica Lange is that they are woefully miscast.As a courtesan, Ms. Shue exhibits about as much ability to drive men to ruin as a stale baguette, while a rosy-cheeked, unwrinkled Ms. Lange delivers a studied, monotone performance relieved only by occasional lapses into a southern accent.This Gallic debacle left this reviewer wondering if the final musical sequence was indicative of a certain regard for the audience, and firmly convinced that bringing French literature to the screen is best left to the French.

"Cousin Bette" is a witty and deliciously mean-spirited black comedy. The operative term, however, is "mean-spirited," so this film is not for all tastes. Cousin Bette is victimized (at least in her own mind) by her selfish and unfeeling relatives. Based on a Balzac novel, the story follows Bette's attempts to find love and to get even with those she believes have wronged her. Things don't ever work out as Cousin Bette plans, but the lady proves she is adaptable. Jessica Lange, despite her beauty made me believe that she was an unattractive spinster. Bob Hoskins was, as always, excellent, as was Elizabeth Shue, who nearly stole the show. Good stuff. Recommended.

The plot is complicated, too much so to describe in 1,000 words. Let's just say Cousin Bette is a tale of familial revenge set in 1840s Paris. Cousin Bette is the spinster aunt of a large wealthy family in the throes of loosing it all; money, dignity and respect. As they struggle, Bette (Lange) weaves her plots, many of which go astray working unintended consequences. This is a delightful black comedy that I liked very much, more so than most reviewers and commentators. If you have a predilection for this kind of movie, jump right in.