Angels & Insects (1995)

Synopsis: In this sexually charged Victorian drama, based on a novella by A. S. Byatt, Mark Rylance plays William Adamson, a naturalist who has just arrived back in England after a long stay in the Amazon, where he studied insects. He has lost nearly all his worldly possessions in a terrible shipwreck,... In this sexually charged Victorian drama, based on a novella by A. S. Byatt, Mark Rylance plays William Adamson, a naturalist who has just arrived back in England after a long stay in the Amazon, where he studied insects. He has lost nearly all his worldly possessions in a terrible shipwreck, but is offered an assistant position at the country estate of a wealthy aristocrat (and fellow entomologist), Sir Harold Alabaster. William soon grows enamored of the languid Eugenia (Patsy Kensit), Alabaster's lovely but distant oldest daughter, who is mourning her fiancé's recent death. Although Eugenia's arrogant brother, Edgar, disapproves of the match, William and Eugenia marry and over the years have a number of children. Also staying with the Alabasters is an educated but poor distant relative (played by Kristin Scott Thomas), who plays a vital role in the shocking drama that unfolds when William discovers a dark, illicit family secret involving his wife, Edgar, and Eugenia's dead lover. The acclaimed second film by director Philip Haas, ANGELS & INSECTS is a lavish period piece incorporating original costumes and opulent imagery. [More]