Script: Stephan Elliot and Sheridan JobbinsStarring: Jessica Biel, Ben Barnes, Colin Firth
"There's something wild about you child that's so contagious, let's misbehave" is definitely the perfect tagline to describe Elliot's sassy adaptation of Noel Cowards' 1924 play of the same name. Easy Virtue is enjoyable: full of witty lines and easy to watch but it will not enhance your life. In the film, Larita (Biel) has entered into a shot-gun marriage with John Whittaker (Barnes) and is brought to his grand family home to meet his old fashioned family. John Whittaker's mother (played by Kristin Scott Thomas) is against the marriage from the start, accusing Larita of being a gold-digger and dragging her precious son away from his family duties.
It is clear that Larita is out of place amongst the stuffy, Victorian values of the Whittaker household; firstly she is American, but also she funds herself with her race car driving, she had been married once before, she smokes, she admires Cuban paintings, has bleach blonde hair, and finally, and possibly the worst flaw in the eyes of the Whittaker family, she wears trousers (god-forbid!) Her disparity from the family is also highlighted with her pollen allergy; safe to say, Larita is not an English rose. There is a lot of criticism surrounding Biel's performance in the film, described as being rather bland and lacking the 'zest' needed to embody the films' interwar, 1920s flapper spirit. Although the sense of detachment she feels toward her new husband's family can be seen. The other characters are very definable, with John's cold mother-who is fighting to defend family values- along with his two poignant sisters, and his free-spirited father (Firth), whose experience in the war helps him empathise with Larita about feeling trapped in the oppressive Whittaker manor. The film takes a lighthearted approach to subjects that otherwise would be quite serious, such as Larita's scandal surrounding her other marriage, the debt of the Whittaker family, and the film devalues the institution of marriage.
As a whole the film is composed of delightful scenes and filled with wonderful costumes and make-up.The film uses a mixture of music from the period and jazzes up more recent songs such as 'Sexbomb.' Cole Porters famous tunes such as, 'Let's misbehave', 'You do something to me' and 'You're the top!' also contribute to the setting of the film and lyrics are even intertwined in the dialogue- highlighting how influential the music of the decade was in shaping the era's Bright Young Things. The film is not a serious historical representation and overall is just a bit of fun, so let's misbehave!
Verdict: Well worth a watch.
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