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Directed By
Stephan Elliott
Written By:
Stephan Elliott, Noel Coward, Sheridan Jobbins
Cast:
Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Kristin Scott Thomas, Colin Firth, Kimberley Nixon, Katherine Parkinson, Kris Marshall, Christian Brassington, Pip Torrens, Joanna Bacon, John Warburton, Georgie Glen, Stephan Elliott, Sheridan Jobbins, Laurence Richardson
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Easy Virtue (2009)
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Movie Review by Jarrod
May 25th, 2009
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'Easy Virtue' is an adaptation of Noel Coward's acclaimed 1924 play; Hitchcock directed a silent version of the story in 1928, but that betrayed the best quality of the source material; its sharp, witty dialogue. This is a searing, yet subtle, critique of the British upper middle class, particularly one family, the Whittakers, with a landed rural estate, clinging stubbornly to Victorian-era morals and haughty attitudes, which attempts to mask their dwindling financial status in the changing society of the 1920s.
John Whittaker, the son, marries a slightly older American woman, Larita (Jessica Biel), and brings her home to meet his parents (Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas), and two sisters, Hilda (Kimberley Nixon), and Marion (Katherine Parkinson). Larita is a race car driver, having recently finished first at an event in Monaco, her face plastered in newspapers across Europe. Veronica (that's Scott Thomas) finds Larita too carefree, too liberated; American, to her, implies vulgarity, a lack of civility.
Larita is greeted warmly, however, by John's scruffy father, who feels confined behind the walls of his drafty, crumbling mansion. That the mansion seems to be falling apart, showing signs of age and decay, is a running visual metaphor. Victoria ostracizes Larita not simply out of sheer meanness or even genuine dislike; she represents the kind of life Victoria may have desired for herself when she was younger, one not bound by tradition, and she does not enjoy being constantly reminded of this. As for Hilda, she is fascinated by Larita, while Marion exhibits the prejudicial views of her mother.
Jessica Biel is outstanding; she exudes a classical beauty and elegance, taking a chance here, straying outside her comfort zone, and sinking into a meaty role that requires her to be something more than eye candy. Barnes, who played Prince Caspian in the last Chronicles of Narnia movie, is handsome, but exceedingly bland; John is left with practically nothing to do, at least when compared to the other characters. Veterans Thomas and Firth sparkle in each and every scene they share; Thomas impeccably delivers her scathing quips.
Top-notch set and costume design flawlessly recreates the era, though there are hints of modernization, especially when it comes to the soundtrack, filled mostly with jazz and big band tunes, but also distinctive variations of newer pop songs, mixed rather effortlessly with the other selections. The film marks a welcome return for Stephan Elliott, who did the 1994 drag queen comedy The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
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