There is nothing to be embarrassed about here, neither is there much to relish, for Mary Reilly has more of the sheen of art than its essence.
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San Francisco ChroniclePeter Stack
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Stack
The film is too mannered, too stuffy. Even Malkovich's interesting performance won't let it break free of a formal style and cloyingly creepy tone that becomes precious while trying to be merely claustrophobic.
42
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
The film's chief novelty turns out to be its drab ''literary'' approach to horror.
40
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
A gothic little slip of a film, beautiful to behold but with less substance than the shadowy tendrils of fog that blanket nearly every scene.
Philippe Rousselot's carefully shaded cinematography looks great, but the screenplay is pretentious and there's little to applaud in the top-heavy acting by John Malkovich and Julia Roberts.
25
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
San Francisco ExaminerWalter Addiego
With the exception of a couple of inspired moments, Mary Reilly is merely a curious variation of an often-told story.