GRADE: B+

When celebrated doctor Herman Tarnower was shot in his McLean, Virginia home one dark and stormy night back in 1980, the event became a media sensation, capturing the public’s attention for many months, not only because of Tarnower’s notoriety as the author of the best selling book, The Scarsdale Diet, but because of the salacious atmosphere surrounding the crime.

Much of that came from people’s fascination with the accused shooter, Jean Harris, a school mistress at a prestigious prep-institution. Highly educated and extremely cultured, Harris’ personal background and the work she did appeared distinctly at odds with the crime she had been accused of committing.

While Harris maintained the fateful shooting was an accident, the local district attorney claimed the shooting was a premeditated act fueled by jealously and rage; the prep-school mistress having her revenge on the man who scorned her.

The events leading up to that rainy night in March when Harris and Tarnower met for the last time are the focus of writer-director Phyllis Nagy’s exceptionally engrossing Mrs. Harris, a fascinating and well-constructed film that infuses the real-life drama with a free-floating time structure to create a beguiling, voyeuristic experience.

Nagy does a commendable job of resisting the passing of any judgment, presenting two very different scenarios of what may have actually happened between Harris and Tarnower. She also weaves into her film a series of interviews with characters involved in the affair, mounting the entire story with an almost surreal presentation that fits beautifully with the subject.

Mrs. Harris is anchored by two superlative performances: Annette Bening absolutely dissolves into the role of the divorced Mrs. Harris in convincing fashion while Ben Kingsley creates a bombastic portrait of Tarnower that befits the flamboyant cardiologist, best-selling author and life-long womanizer.

The large supporting cast is quite good and the cameo appearances by many familiar performers add to the increasingly complicated picture surrounding the case. The production designs and art direction are spot-on, mimicking the look of the late 1970s with crisp cinematography and a standoffish directing style that uses mostly medium shots to capture the unfolding eliptical drama.

Nominated for several Golden Globe Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Actress, Mrs. Harris is an entertaining and enthralling study of romantic miscommunication and the fireworks created by the clash of personal desires.

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