This is essentially a soap opera, in the tradition of "Room With A View" and "Remains of the Day". The action consists of conversations, silences, glances, written notes, and so on. It is also about the beginning of a sea change in women's roles in society, fueled by changing expectations of both women and men. While it is fiction, it is of great historical interest. It is also a tragedy of small proportions, made much larger by Gillian Anderson's clever acting of the lead character, a woman who, on the surface, is quite dislikable yet has a vulnerability under that hard exterior that eventually leads to her downfall. Anderson has made an art form out of strong women who burst into sobs, and she is quite good at it. The film is fairly long, and seems quite motionless at times, but that same stillness creates a sense of time and history quite appropriate to the material. If you liked the two Merchant-Ivory productions noted above, you will enjoy this one.