"Did she? Didn't she?"
"Your cousin Rachel, Mr. Ashley, is a woman of very strong impulse. And passion."
— Rainaldi
My Cousin Rachel is a film adaptation (the second, after the 1952 version) of the gothic Daphne du Maurier novel of the same name. It was directed by Roger Michell.
Philip Ashley (Sam Claflin), a young English gentleman, was raised by and is heir to his older cousin Ambrose. While Ambrose recovers from an illness in Italy, he befriends and later marries their widowed cousin Rachel (Rachel Weisz), before passing away of a brain tumour. When Rachel comes to visit the estate, Philip is initially suspicious of her, convinced she drove Ambrose to his death. However, he slowly becomes more and more entranced with her.
The cast also includes Iain Glen as Philip's godfather Nick and Holliday Grainger as Nick's daughter Louise.
The film was released on June 9, 2017.
Tropes:
- Adaptational Heroism: Downplayed, as we don't learn anything definite about Rachel's actions in the film. But the general feeling in the film is that Rachel might well have been completely innocent of any wrongdoing, whereas in the novel it is rather hinted that Rachel probably had done at least something wrong. Crucially, in the novel Philip finds the poisonous laburnum seeds in Rachel's drawer, whereas in the film he doesn't find anything incriminating even after thorough search. Likewise, in the novel Rachel's dealings with Rainaldi look rather suspicious; in the film they may still look that way, but at least the possibility that he was Rachel's lover is definitely ruled out.
- Ambiguous Situation: Like the source material, the film does not definitively clarify Rachel's innocence, even opening with "Did she? Didn't she?". Was she poisoning Ambrose, or was Ambrose just paranoid because of his brain tumor? Was she poisoning Philip as well? Was she trying to get her hands on the estate, or was Philip just naive and besotted? She dies before Philip can get answers, and he remains haunted by her memory.
- Book Ends: The film begins and ends with Philip monologuing about Ambrose and Rachel.
- Femme Fatale: Rachel, a beautiful older widow who swans about the estate and may or may not be trying to get her hands on it.
- Healthy Country Air: English gentleman Ambrose is sent off to Italy for the fresh air and sunshine after falling ill.
- Hot Drink Cure: Rachel serves herbal infusions to Philip, telling him that she used to serve them for Ambrose. Initially trusting Rachel, Philip starts to suspect her of being a poisoner.
- Incompatible Orientation: Philip learns that Rainaldi was gay and thus couldn't be Rachel's lover.
- Kissing Cousins: Though the precise degrees of relations are never specified, Rachel marries her cousin Ambrose, then her other cousin Philip falls in love with her.
- Mistaken for Cheating: Near the end of the film Philip becomes suspicious of Rachel again and thinks she's having an affair with Rainaldi. Rainaldi is gay, and Rachel's actions and motivations remain unknowable as she dies shortly after.
- Murder by Inaction: Suspicious of Rachel, Phillip suggests that she go riding along a route where he himself nearly fell to his death earlier in the film. Sure enough...
- Nephewism: Philip was raised by his older cousin Ambrose and considered him a father.
- Oblivious to Love: Philip is painfully unaware that his godfather's daughter Louise is in love with him. They later marry, though Philip is forever changed by his liaison with Rachel.
- Rambunctious Italian: Discussed by Philip and Louise; Philip expects his half-Italian cousin Rachel to be hysterical owing to her heritage.
- Significant Double Casting: Both Ambrose and his surrogate son Philip fall in love with the mysterious Rachel. The young Ambrose and Philip are both played by Sam Claflin (and their resemblance is commented on as 'remarkable').
