|
Synopsis
Adapted from a Noel
Coward play, EASY VIRTUE is essentially a tale of Old World
manners vs. New World freedom. The year is 1929, and John
Whitaker (Ben Barnes) has just married a feisty American...
Adapted from a Noel Coward play, EASY VIRTUE is
essentially a tale of Old World manners vs. New World freedom.
The year is 1929, and John Whitaker (Ben Barnes) has just
married a feisty American racecar driver named Larita (Jessica
Biel). John is the eldest of the Whitakers--a prim English
family--and when he returns home with Larita on his arm, his
mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) is none too pleased. John's
choice of a loud, brash American has raised everyone's
eyebrows, including his sisters, Hilda (Kimberly Nixon) and
Marion (Katherine Parkinson). The only person who seems to
approve of Larita is Mr. Whitaker--John's weary, put-upon
father (Colin Firth). Try as she might, Larita has a hard time
impressing the icy, unforgiving Mrs. Whitaker, and indeed, the
entire Whitaker clan proves to be a rather eccentric, unhappy
bunch. John had promised Larita a short visit, but due to
pressure from his mother, they stay longer than planned. Time
drags on, and the friction between Mrs. Whitaker and Larita
only gets worse. When Hilda digs up something scandalous from
Larita's past, tensions bubble to a boiling point, and Larita
is forced to face some rather hard truths about herself and
her new husband. For fans of period films, EASY VIRTUE is a
visual treat, set on a sprawling country estate and with
gorgeous and impeccable costumes. Director Stephan Elliot (THE
ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT) tries to inject
a bit of modern zing by filling scenes with contemporary
renditions of Cole Porter songs, while Biel and Scott Thomas
breathe some life into their lightweight characters. Though
the source play, with its airy plot, isn't one of Coward's
most popular works, fans of Colin Firth's work in costume
comedies and dramas will be delighted with the actor's
performance here.
|
