Easy Virtue

 

 

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"Easy Virtue" takes a well-worn plot and dusts it off: What does a stuffy family do when someone new and wholly different enters the fold?

In this case, the loose adaptation of Noel Coward's classic play about hypocrisy never quite answers the question, mainly because the plot gets altered so severely. It's full of gorgeous misty scenery, ancient manorhouses and some wonderful acting from the British "family," but unfortunately it's undermined by the presence of Jessica Biel -- not only can she not act, but her character is a 2-D pain in the backside.

After a vacation in the south of France, young John Whittaker (Ben Barnes) brings his new wife home to the family estate -- an American racecar driver named Larita. His mother Veronica (Kristin Scott Thomas) takes an instant dislike to her (for reasons later revealed), and Larita quickly rubs the family the wrong way by whining about the house and local customs. She wants to get back to London, she hates the country, and she only gets friendly with John's war-scarred dad.

And the family becomes increasingly displeased with Larita as a series of accidents (squashing the chihuahua), misunderstandings and attention-getting stunts take place -- and soon a cold war of sorts has broken out between Veronica and Larita. But the whole mess really starts when news arrives from America about some skeletons in Larita's closet that she neglected to mention to John...

Noel Coward's original play was all about hypocrisy -- presumably the hypocrisy of the mother and sisters for disliking Larita. But Stephan Elliott has whittled away some parts of the original play and recrafted it: now it's part dark comedy, part drama, part romance (past, present and future) and has a new ending and some very different plot twists (Larita's scandalous criminal conviction).

The story unfolds slowly in a haze of cigarette smoke, country mist and greenhouse flowers, and Elliott pumps up the fun with vintage music and Cowell's sharp dialogue ("I don't feel like smiling." "You're English dear. Fake it"). The growing battle between Veronica and Larita is fun to watch as they try to one-up each other (hello, Picasso nude!), but there are some truly sad moments as well, such as when John discovers how hard his mother has worked for their family.

But there are some moments that feel incredibly awkward, such as a tango number between Firth and Biel near the end. And the whole dog-squashing thing was just gross and tasteless.

Unfortunately, Larita sours the plot; it doesn't help that the one-note Biel plays her with blank eyes and a petulant pout, which fail to give Larita any depth. Presumably she's supposed to be the clever and modern heroine, but she ends up seeming snotty, inflexible and totally insensitive (such as when she mocks the local traditions... on her FIRST NIGHT). When she isn't whining at John for "not loving me better," she's flirting with his dad (which undermines the whole idea that she isn't an "easy virtue" type).

Instead, you end up feeling sorry for the demonized Mrs. Whittaker: she's frantically trying to hold her family together as the estate slips away, with no help from her mocking husband. Thomas' brittle body language and taut face speak volumes (certainly more than Biel's). Colin Firth does a good job as the broken ex-Army Major who inexplicably seems to loathe his wife, and the gorgeous Barnes exudes boyish passion and innocence as John (until he has to grow up in a big way). And man, can that boy sing!

"Easy Virtue" is a gorgeous little piece filled with great actors, but unfortunately an unpleasant lead character and wooden actress throw it off kilter. But it's definitely worth watching for Thomas, Firth and Barnes.

At first I was a little skeptic. This is the standard formula movie period piece with all the standard actors and all the standard clichés and the entire standard, standards. Yes you know the end before it starts. I didn't expect to be so overwhelmingly caught up in the story and forget that they were actors and never noticed the clichés and almost sad that it had ended. Very seldom do I see a movie where I feel for the lost souls escaping captivity.

Veronica Whittaker (Kristin Scott Thomas) runs the English family estate. She is shocked to find her young son John (Ben Barnes) heir had purchased a French floozy Larita (Jessica Biel) for a wife. She is even more shocked to find out that the floozy is not French but American.

"Smile Marian"
"I don't feel like smiling"
"You're English darling fake it"

First we find that the cultures clash in a comic sort of way then we find that not only are cultures clashing but people and situations. The stories and people are too real to be an objective observer.

The basic story under the movie was adapted from a Noel Coward play written by Noel when he was 25. They saved about 30%. Also Larita was made a race car driver.

For those technically inclined I have only seen the Blu-Ray version so I cannot comment on the other versions. However the beginning of the DVD touts how great Blu-Ray is. And it looks like it has all the Blu-Ray menus and extras. Be sure to listen to the voiceover commentary.

Camille [Blu-ray] ~ Sienna Miller

The year is 1928, and young playboy John is bringing his new bride to his parent's country estate. His possessive mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) is fuming over the marriage and horrified to meet Larita (Jessica Biel), his outspoken, race car-driving, and slightly older wife. John's father (Colin Firth), an unhappy veteran of WWI, is the only one in the family who seems to like Larita.

Based on a dramatic play by Noel Coward but rewritten by the director, this comedy of manners doesn't quite succeed. Coward's wit is there, but all of the characters are equally acerbic from the start, tossing around zingy one-liners at breakneck speed; no one is ever vulnerable or sympathetic and the dialogue sounds forced and unnatural. Biel is neither likeable nor believable as the roaring twenties belle and she over-enunciates each word like a stage actress trying to reach the top balcony. Nobody plays a snooty aristocrat as well as Thomas, but the weak script makes her a one-dimensional witch. Firth still looks too young to play a grown man's father and his shell-shocked veteran role is poorly developed. Ben Barnes (John) looks suitably callow but is unappealing. Kris Marshall steals the show as a funny butler.

This isn't a terrible movie, but it is a disappointing one. 2.5 stars.

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2.0 out of 5 stars time to retire Noel Coward
Although Noel Coward is dead, his life's work still lives on in movie adaptations of his works. Going in I actually thought this would be about a strong independent American woman... Read more

Published on Oct 23 2009 by Brian Maitland

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