And yet, even with Nicole Kidman turning in a lovely,
quietly powerful
performance as Bell, even with a bevy of solid supporting
performances from the likes of James Franco, Robert Pattinson, Damian Lewis, Jay Abdo, David Calder and Jenny Agutter, even with Peter Zeitlinger's (Into the Inferno)
stunning cinematography, Queen of the Desert still ends up as nothing more than a colossally head - scratching disappointment.
While executives of Sotheby's and Christie's may have
quietly taken some solace in the less than stellar
performance of the Impressionist and Modern Art auction this spring at Phillips's
stunning temporary quarters at the American Crafts Museum at 40 West 53rd Street across from the Museum of Modern Art, Phillips's second major auction may give them some serious second thoughts.