“Did she?” “Didn’t she?” “Who’s to blame?” These nagging questions uttered by male protagonist Philip open My Cousin Rachel, a mystery-romance-thriller directed by Roger Michell and based on the eponymous novel by English author Daphne du Maurier. Whether or not audiences can come to a unanimous, definite conclusion after a running time of 106 minutes, My Cousin Rachel succeeds in remaining an enigma from start to finish, largely thanks to a deliciously layered performance by veteran Rachel Weiss as the film’s titular character.

After his beloved guardian Ambrose dies unexpectedly, young Englishmen Philip (Sam Claflin) plots revenge against his beautiful widow Rachel (Rachel Weiss), whom he suspects to have murdered his cousin. He travels to the Cornwall estate he was brought up in as an orphan- left behind by Ambrose- to meet Rachel, but his plans are derailed when he ends up falling in love with her.

The strength of My Cousin Rachel lies in its unassuming but tastefully intriguing portrayal of the power dynamics between male and female, done without the sort of melodramatic hysterics that typically plague similar period dramas. The film’s thematic explorations of gender roles, female sexuality and autonomy will be sure to satisfy Victorian literature aficiandos, not to mention its enchanting cinematography- think gothic sets, flourishing woods, galloping horses along magnificent sea cliffs and so forth.

Like a painting that speaks a thousand words, Weiss puts in a captivating and understated performance as the unreadable, multi-faceted Rachel. With just a soft quaver in her voice, slight twitch in the face or a vacuous stare into space, she possesses the remarkable ability to convey vulnerability alongside a sliver of deviousness, even if these subtleties are lost on Claflin’s infatuated Philip. Intercepted letters, a dubious herbal tea concoction, a beady-eyed Italian gentleman and wild townsfolk rumours are the obvious gambits conjured up to cast shades of doubt on Rachel’s true character, but they work in keeping audiences second-guessing her motivations throughout the film.  

The film unfortunately suffers from poor pacing, which ends up reducing several suspenseful moments to mere lukewarm temperature. But overall My Cousin Rachel is still a serviceable mystery thriller, and Weiss alone onscreen is enough to keep it taut and engaging.   

3.5/5 stars

By Paige Lim 

Photocredit @ Fox Searchlight Pictures