Hollywood actress Reese Witherspoon jetted into Bath where parts of the city were transformed into 1820s London for the new movie Vanity Fair. The movie, based on a novel by William Thackeray is a satire about a young Englishwoman in London during the Napoleonic wars. Witherspoon plays Becky Sharp who aims to abandon her poverty-stricken background and climb the social ladder. Her best friend, Amelia, longs for a soldier named George and can't see that Dobbin, a gentleman, suffers unrequited love for her. The movie is directed by Mira Nair, acclaimed for her work on Monsoon Wedding, and is scripted by British writer Julian Fellowes, known for his work on Gosford Park.  | | Jonathan Rhys-Meyers has landed a role in Vanity Fair |
Director Mira Nair said: "It is a story that comes down to basic human ambition, asking a spiritual, even yogic question: Which of us is happy in this world? Which of us has his desire? Or, having it, is satisfied?" A whole host of British actors will also appear in the period film including Oscar winner Jim Broadbent, James Purefoy, Jonathan Rhys-Meyers and Rhys Ivans. James Purefoy landed the lead role opposite Reese Witherspoon and plays Rawdon Crawley, the roguish younger son of Sir Pitt Crawley, who ultimately marries Becky. | 
