Easy Virtue (B- or 2.5/4 stars)
'Easy Virtue' (directed by Stephan Elliott) begins in the roaring twenties where John Whitaker (Ben Barnes, of Prince Caspian), member of an aristocratic family, returns home to England from the Riviera with a rich, glamorous bride, Larita (Jessica Biel). An American race car driver, Larita thinks her notoriety will sit well with her husband's folks. But she is met with stern reservations, particularly from his mother, Veronica (the eternally aristocratic Kristin Scott Thomas). Larita is of a bold, free, fresh-faced, bleach-blonded, New World stock. Veronica is of Old World British stock. She doesn't approve of this American woman sweeping in & stealing her son. Eye brows are raised throughout the household; including John's impressionable sisters, Hilda & Marion. She's the 1st breath of fresh air that's wafted through the tall corridors of their stuffy country mansion since ... well, forever.
Larita tries to impress, but nearly everything she says and/or does is seen as pretentious, incorrect, tragic, or downright absurd. After all, she IS American and we know what these 1920s Brits think of us. This family is quite unhappy & quick to scathe; as most Brits of that time & place were. John promises Larita a quick visit, but due to pressure from his mom, they stay longer than planned. Time slogs on, & the icy friction btwn. Mrs. Whitaker & Larita only greatens. When Hilda digs up something scandalous from Larita's checkered past, tensions rise, & Larita is forced to contemplate both herself & her marriage. Only John's war-weary father, Jim (Colin Firth) seems to see through the glitzy surface to Larita's true soul.
'Easy Virtue' is provides good entertainment, but it's not great. It's tones/segues waver all over the place (what starts as a tongue-in-cheek comedy ends on a rather serious note). It's a bit trite, at times. I've seen this type of film before. And it's doesn't add anything particularly new or fresh. All that said, there are "virtues" buried beneath the surface (much like Larita) which adds up to an alternately satisfying experience. There's a great tango scene near the end. And unlike The Duchess or Brideshead Revisited (both of which I admire), this period film actually injects some comedy & zest into the proceedings. When it's good, 'Easy Virtue' is playful, elegant & ironic. I enjoyed the casual, droll disdain for the upper middle class.
Acting-wise, not all of the performances work. But Colin Firth brings some gravity to the film. Kristin Scott Thomas breathes some life into the cliched, stuck-up, narrowed-minded mother role. And Jessical Biel is surprisingly stellar. I did not believe her in this role in the front half of the film, but she grew on me. Biel is gorgeous. But she reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio in the sense that their physicality does not always match-up with the roles their given. Leo is an incredible actor. She is not. But I was impressed with her by the end. The visuals are great (sprawling estate, gorgeous interiors), the script has moments of lacerating wit, & I get a kick out of the vaingloriousness of upper class British lives. Overall, this comedy of morals & manners is more effective than not.
Larita tries to impress, but nearly everything she says and/or does is seen as pretentious, incorrect, tragic, or downright absurd. After all, she IS American and we know what these 1920s Brits think of us. This family is quite unhappy & quick to scathe; as most Brits of that time & place were. John promises Larita a quick visit, but due to pressure from his mom, they stay longer than planned. Time slogs on, & the icy friction btwn. Mrs. Whitaker & Larita only greatens. When Hilda digs up something scandalous from Larita's checkered past, tensions rise, & Larita is forced to contemplate both herself & her marriage. Only John's war-weary father, Jim (Colin Firth) seems to see through the glitzy surface to Larita's true soul.
'Easy Virtue' is provides good entertainment, but it's not great. It's tones/segues waver all over the place (what starts as a tongue-in-cheek comedy ends on a rather serious note). It's a bit trite, at times. I've seen this type of film before. And it's doesn't add anything particularly new or fresh. All that said, there are "virtues" buried beneath the surface (much like Larita) which adds up to an alternately satisfying experience. There's a great tango scene near the end. And unlike The Duchess or Brideshead Revisited (both of which I admire), this period film actually injects some comedy & zest into the proceedings. When it's good, 'Easy Virtue' is playful, elegant & ironic. I enjoyed the casual, droll disdain for the upper middle class.
Acting-wise, not all of the performances work. But Colin Firth brings some gravity to the film. Kristin Scott Thomas breathes some life into the cliched, stuck-up, narrowed-minded mother role. And Jessical Biel is surprisingly stellar. I did not believe her in this role in the front half of the film, but she grew on me. Biel is gorgeous. But she reminds me of Leonardo DiCaprio in the sense that their physicality does not always match-up with the roles their given. Leo is an incredible actor. She is not. But I was impressed with her by the end. The visuals are great (sprawling estate, gorgeous interiors), the script has moments of lacerating wit, & I get a kick out of the vaingloriousness of upper class British lives. Overall, this comedy of morals & manners is more effective than not.