Great cast but a plodding narrative
Isabel Allende, niece of the assassinated Chilean president Salvador Allende, wrote “The House of the Spirits” as a family saga, fairy-tale romance, violent social history, and mystical fantasy. The novel follows four generations of a Chilean family from the 1920s to the 1970s. The film adaptation blends these elements into a sprawling melodrama.<br /><br />It opens in 1923 with young girl Clara (Grace Gummer) first seeing Esteban Trueba (Jeremy Irons) when he comes to her family’s home to propose to her older sister. Clara knows through her gift of psychic powers that he will one day marry her instead. Her ability to see into the future attracts crowds of townspeople who want her to advise them. Occasionally, she remains mute for long periods.<br /><br />When she comes of age, Clara (Meryl Streep) does marry Esteban, no longer a poor striver but a rich plantation owner who exploits his workers with a cruel and vicious hand and rapes peasant women with impunity. One of his illegitimate offspring is a resentful son who figures dramatically into the story as an adult.<br /><br />Clara invites Esteban’s sister, Ferula (Glenn Close), a spinster with no means of her own, to live with them, and Esteban becomes jealous of the bond that forms between his sister and his wife. Clara knows of Esteban’s philandering but remains loyal and doesn’t confront him directly. Together, Ferula and Clara symbolize the silent ordeals of women of their time.<br /><br />When Clara and Esteban’s daughter, Blanca (Winona Ryder), comes of age, she is attracted to revolutionary peasant Pedro Garcia (Antonio Banderas). Discovering their relationship, Esteban tries to kill Pedro repeatedly, incensed not only because he feels Pedro is beneath his daughter’s station, but also because Pedro attempts to rally the workers to demand better working conditions. Ultimately, Esteban’s family troubles and a political coup combine to destroy the Trueba family.<br /><br />The most enviable aspect of “The House of the Spirits” is its all-star cast. This A-list group of actors attempts to capture the essence of the novel in a film that depends largely on dialogue to replace Allende’s descriptive narrative. There’s a lot happening in the movie. Writer-director Billie August had to consolidate much of the book in order to retain the essentials. The result is mere snapshots of the characters except for Esteban, who gets the most screen time. Esteban is not a sympathetic character. He’s arrogant and controlling, a brutal master, a rapist, imperious toward workers and family alike. Even his sister fears him, and Clara responds to his violent behavior by completely detaching herself from him.<br /><br />Streep’s Clara is an odd character. Clara’s supernatural ability is established early on but diminishes as the film progresses. Streep has an excellent scene with Close when their characters first meet, immediately bond, and Ferula breaks down in tears, confiding to Clara that she’s not accustomed to kindness. In other scenes, Streep plays Clara as an ethereal being, performing at a level apart from her co-actors.<br /><br />Close is quite effective as Ferula, who comes alive when Esteban marries and brings Clara to his plantation. As her ailing mother’s sole caregiver, Ferula has never been free to have a social life or marry. Esteban is their sole support and after the old woman dies, Ferula has little choice but to remain dependent on her brother. Living in Esteban’s house, she assumes the role of housekeeper, seeing to the needs of her brother and his family, a repressed servant with no life of her own. She’s both pathetic and tragic, her only happiness derived from having Clara to talk to.<br /><br />Winona Ryder dominates the final third of the movie, when she becomes a pawn in the coup that roils the country. She has a few rough physical scenes which she handles convincingly, but other times she appears to be treading water in contrast with her more experienced co-stars.<br /><br />Banderas smolders as the rebellious Pedro but has little to do aside from making love with Blanca, seething against injustice, and escaping the murderous wrath of Esteban. He has a couple of scenes in which Pedro tries to move his co-workers to action, but his primary role is as the handsome and troubled romantic lead.<br /><br />In terms of the magic realism that suffuses the novel, there are a few jarring scenes in which dead characters reappear. It takes a moment to realize that these apparitions are manifestations of Clara’s powers. One scene in particular is confusing and seems as if the film has taken a momentary detour into horror.<br /><br />Director Billie August has created a beautiful-looking movie, with locations in Portugal standing in for Santiago, Chile. The shortcomings of the film are the responsibility of August, considering the stature of the cast. The performances often lack energy. Irons may be over the top in several scenes, but other cast members appear to coast. Subtlety is fine, but it should be balanced with more spirited moments lest narrative become dreary. The movie tends to plod along, especially toward the end, when pace should accelerate but lumbers along despite the dramatic change in Chile under the military coup.<br /><br />Bonus materials on the R-rated Blu-ray release include an audio commentary, interview with the first assistant director, and the European cut of the film.<br /><br />“The House of the Spirits” takes place in Chile but does not have a Latin American feel. This might be due to its international co-production status and definitely has a lot to do with the name cast. Of the main actors, only Spanish-born Antonio Banderas is believable as the hot-headed and daring Pedro. The other principals are British or American and seem to be veterans of the Actors Studio staging a pageant. Confronted with a world-famous novel and a dream cast, writer/director Billie August may have been over his head in his adaptation. Though it has its memorable moments, the film is cold and distant, pushing us away rather than drawing us in.
The movie title "The House of the Spirits," available on None, has received an average rating of 4.6 from 834 reviewers. 
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The additional details include the following in key-value format :
 {"Package Dimensions": "6.81 x 5.39 x 0.59 inches; 3.6 Ounces", "Director": "Bille August", "Media Format": "Import", "Release date": "April 7, 2023", "Actors": "Meryl Streep, Jeremy Irons, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder, Antonio Banderas", "Producers": "Bernd Eichinger", "Studio": "Imprint", "Number of discs": "1"}

Here is a brief synopsis of the title : FROM ON ISABEL ALLENDE'S BEST-SELLING NOVELSet in South America before the Second World War. The House of the Spirits is a hauntingly romantic epic tale spanning three generations of the Trueba family. At it's core is the stormy, yet passionate relationship between the supernaturally gifted Clara (Meryl Streep) and her controlling husband Esteban (Jeremy Irons), who resists change both politically and personally. This is a timeless story of secrets, seduction, revenge and forgiveness.Based on Isabel Allende's best-selling novel.Starring Jeremy Irons, Meryl Streep, Glenn Close, Winona Ryder, Antonio Banderas & Vanessa Redgrave.Special Features and Technical Specs:1080p High-definition presentation on Blu-rayInterviews with Jeremy Irons, Vanessa Redgrave, Billie August & Isabel AllendeMore special features TBCOriginal Aspect Ratio 2:35:1Audio English LPCM 2.0Optional English subtitlesLimited Edition slipcase on the first 1500 copies with unique artwork.