LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP
Director Whit Stillman
Screenplay Whit Stillman
Based on the story by Jane Austin
Starring Kate Beckinsale
Lady Susan Vernon (Beckinsale), takes up a temporary residence with former in-laws as she tries to manipulate herself and her daughter into their lives and find a way is no longer homeless.
When you think British humor Jane Austin does not come to mind. Well here it is!!
It works!! Mainly because of two performances:
Beckinsale as Lady Susan Vernon is fantastic. So manipulative!! So full of crap, and the funny thing is I think sometimes she believes her crap, which makes it funny.She owns this part. So believable and you never get the feeling she is in over head playing this part which is the type of part you do not think of when you think of Beckinsale. She pulls it off.
Tom Bennett as Sir James Martin. He arrives into this film at around the half way mark and steals every scene he is in. He is a lovable.....naive...I guess...idiot. You are amazed by the things that come out of his mouth(Little Green Balls). So dry and funny!!
This film is only 92 minutes so it does not overstay its welcome. The humor is very dry and it is very quick, to a point that something funny is said and maybe 30 seconds later you catch it and start laughing even though something funny is happening now (British Humor).
Negatives?
Maybe too many characters for a 90 minute film, it takes a bit to get who is who and who falls in line with whom. Still, I think director Stillman understands this problem and he literally introduces the characters by stopping the story and explaining who is who. That works......and even that is dry and funny.
4 out of 5 stars for this surprisingly funny Jane Austin based story. Well Done!!
From the shadows as always thanks for your time.
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