jefferson in paris be a truly confounding film . it present thomas jefferson ( nick nolte ) in the most unflattering light possible and paint him a a liar and racist and pedophile and yet offer not a shred of condemnation for those sin . this be the way he be and the film seem to say . end of sentence and end of movie and the door behind you . after arrive in paris with his daughter patsy ( gwenyth paltrow ) and jefferson proceeds to win the heart of maria cosway ( greta scacchi ) and the wife of a homosexual english painter ( the criminally underused simon callow ) . a turn of event sends maria to england and however and and jefferson proceeds to forget her with astonish speed for a man who and mere minute of screen time before and be ask her to live with him in america . he be bewitch and you see and by sally hemmings ( thandie newton ) and one of his slave just arrive from america . just why he bewitch be hard to tell although sally be undeniably beautiful and she act like a simple mind child in front of jefferson . when she isn not tell ghost story in exaggerated darky speech pattern and she slink around his bedroom and practically ooze lust for her distinguished massa . if her behavior be an attempt to excuse jefferson and it doesn not work . jefferson damn himself far when maria and tire of wait for his letter and travel from england to see him . i have not change toward you and he insist and offer weak excuse for not write . to her credit and maria see through his brazen lie immediately . when sally appear and and she and jefferson flirt openly ( and cruelly and to my mind ) in maria very presence and the illusion fall apart completely . no one today believe that jefferson and washington and the rest be utter paragon of virtue and morality . yet and be we suppose to believe that the learned and distinguished jefferson would be attract to sally and a woman whose most intelligent conversation be about how massa frenchie friend don unnastan aw corn and who rub herself against his front a she pass and right before maria eye . even if we let that slide and it follow by the horrify revelation that sally be only 15 when this affair take place ( jefferson be 41 ) . strangely and this fact come out only toward the very end and when sally brother james be understandbly furious at her blase announcement that she be carry jefferson child . jefferson be equally blase when tell that sally be carry his child and and patronizingly tell her that she would be far good off under his protection than free and live in france with her brother . but and he promise and i will free her when i die and our child ( include any more that come and jefferson say and in a chill declaration of sally a his ) when they reach 21. oh thank you and massa and you feel like tell the screen . big deal . the bad scene be still to come and however and involve jefferson daughter patsy . she be already angry at him and first for break his vow and make to her mother on her deathbed and not to marry again . ( obviously the woman wasn not just talk about matrimony . ) jefferson have also refuse to allow patsy to become a nun a she wish and despite early moralize about freedom of religion ( that seem to mean freedom to agree with him ) . have promise sally and her brother their freedom and jefferson call in patsy to witness the bargain and promise to fulfill it should anything happen to him . sally brother blurts out the impend birth of the child and and jefferson asks and do you swear . paltrow performance in this scene be brilliant and although she have almost nothing to say . her face nearly contorts in agonize pain at this revelation and yet she control her grief and whisper yes . if anything and and the filmmaker could have have something if they would emphasize this point more and jefferson in paris be an indication of the status of woman in the late 18th century and view even by men like jefferson a attractive property and pleasing but without true intellect or soul . we see jefferson shed a few tear over a letter from maria and obviously tell him where to get off and but he soon laugh away at a wild dance from sally and complete with tossed hair and heave bosom . i do not know whether this be an accurate portrait of jefferson or not . i do not care to watch it and however and just for the sake of watch it . this jefferson be no hero or even an anti hero . he a selfish and lie child molestor and one who get away with it not the kind of man i want to see a movie about .