Set in Venice in the late 19th century and based on Henry James' novella of the same name,The Aspern Papers is a story of obsession, grandeur lost, and dreams of Byronic adventures. Ambitious editor Morton Vint is fascinated by the Romantic poet Jeffrey Aspern and by his icon's short and wildly romantic life. Having travelled from America to Venice, he is determined to get his hands on the letters Aspern wrote to his beautiful lover and muse, Juliana Bordereau. Now the ferocious guardian of their secrets, Juliana lives in a grand but rather dilapidated Venetian palazzo with her niece, Miss Tina. Posing as prospective lodger, Morton charms Miss Tina, who leads a very quiet life dominated by her aunt. At first hiding his real intentions, he eventually confesses his true passion to Miss Tina. She reluctantly agrees to help him. But Juliana is suspicious of Morton, and a confrontation between the two of them shows how frail the strong-willed old lady actually is. Morton flees the house. When he returns, he learns of Juliana's death. Miss Tina is now willing to share the infamous letters with him, but the condition she sets is one that Morton finds he cannot fulfill, after all. Deeply ashamed by the rejection, Tina overcomes her embarrassment and hurt and finds an unknown inner strength. When Morton reconsiders his decision, she confronts him with a revelation.
Cast
Jonathan Rhys-Meyers as Morton Vint
Joely Richardson as Miss Tina, Juliana Bordereau's niece
The film holds a 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes from a total of 20 reviews, indicating strong dislike. Several critics lamented the film's sluggishness; John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "more lifeless than its namesake's long-dead body," while David Lewis of the San Francisco Chronicle labeled it "a Merchant-Ivory film - on Quaaludes," giving it 1 out of 4 stars. Many critics considered the performance from Jonathan Rhys-Meyers to be one of the picture's worst aspects; writing for Slant Magazine, Keith Watson said:
"Rhys-Meyers is absurdly unconvincing throughout. With his gratingly thin American accent, stilted line readings, and rigid, glowering facial expressions, the actor demonstrates all the range and emotional depth of Derek Zoolander. He evokes none of Vint’s intelligence or passion, rendering him instead a dull, hectoring cipher."
