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A lighthearted adaptation of a Noel Coward play set in the late 1920s, Easy Virtue stars Jessica Biel as Larita, an adventurous American who marries John, the naive, British heir (Ben Barnes) to a crumbling family estate. Whisked into the less-than-receptive bosom of John's kin, Larita soon finds herself drawing the scorn of her mother-in-law (Kristin Scott Thomas), who would have preferred John marry a longtime sweetheart from his own genteel community rather than a brash Yankee. Eager to move to London, Larita knows the longer a post-honeymoon John visits his family the harder it will be for the newlyweds to live on their own terms, and she's right. Giving up on any notion of fitting in, Larita suffers a few embarrassments before fighting back. But nothing can help her once a past scandal encroaches on her dream of happiness.
Co-writer and director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) keeps everything breezy and fun, though the clashes between Larita and her malicious mother-in-law are keenly felt. Elliott's period sensibility is very strong, not least of all his appreciation of John's father (Colin Firth), a restless intellectual and member of the so-called Lost Generation of World War I veterans. Firth's performance as a man distanced from his family's preoccupations and material woes is a real highlight of Easy Virtue. When he dances a tango, late in the story, one can see years of repressed desire erupt in him. --Tom Keogh
Co-writer and director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) keeps everything breezy and fun, though the clashes between Larita and her malicious mother-in-law are keenly felt. Elliott's period sensibility is very strong, not least of all his appreciation of John's father (Colin Firth), a restless intellectual and member of the so-called Lost Generation of World War I veterans. Firth's performance as a man distanced from his family's preoccupations and material woes is a real highlight of Easy Virtue. When he dances a tango, late in the story, one can see years of repressed desire erupt in him. --Tom Keogh
Product Description
United Kingdom released, PAL/Region 2 DVD: LANGUAGES: English ( Dolby Digital 5.1 ), English ( Subtitles ), WIDESCREEN (2.35:1), SPECIAL FEATURES: Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Featurette, Interactive Menu, Making Of, Photo Gallery, Scene Access, Trailer(s), SYNOPSIS: "Easy Virtue," Stephan Elliott's carbonated screen adaptation of an early Noël Coward play, is so intent on sustaining a facade of fizzy effervescence that it incorporates bouncy period-style versions of songs by Coward and Cole Porter as a peppy running soundtrack. One character, John Whittaker (Ben Barnes), a dewy English upper-class twit who brings his glamorous, somewhat older new American wife, Larita (Jessica Biel), home to meet his poisonous family, is so enamored of the songs that snippets of the lyrics seep into his dialogue. "Easy Virtue" follows the travails of Larita, a brash, beautiful, widowed race-car driver from Detroit whom John meets in Monaco and impulsively marries. John's mother, Veronica (Kristin Scott Thomas), is predisposed to loathe her new daughter-in-law. And from the moment Larita steps out of John's BMW roadster onto the Whittaker estate, she campaigns for Larita's undoing. In its cold-eyed assessment of the English aristocracy "Easy Virtue" has none of the lurking Anglophilia found in Merchant-Ivory movies. SCREENED/AWARDED AT: British Independent Film Awards, ...Easy Virtue
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 31 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
An American city girl in the English countryside - not good for one's stiff upper lip!
14 Jun 2009
Format:DVD
This adaptation of a Noel Coward play was great fun. It was full of great performances from an all-star cast, and some hilarious set pieces - involving a chihuahua and the can can, and a fabulous tango from Colin Firth, but I digress.
The roaring twenties are in full flow when John Whittaker has a whirlwind romance and brings his new American bride home to meet the family in their crumbling ancestral pile. Immediately a battle of wits ensue between his monster of a mother (the wonderfully clipped Kristin Scott Thomas) and Larita, a go-getter from Detroit (Jessica Biel). Colin Firth is the drop-out father still suffering from the stress of the Great War. Everyone is either jealous or in awe of Larita who as a city girl, feels totally trapped in the countryside, but she plays them at their own game, and there are skeletons in plenty of cupboards including her own to unearth! I also enjoyed a brilliantly wry turn from Kris Marshall as the butler.
I totally missed this film when on at the cinema, but the DVD was a joy. The soundtrack was an odd thing though - packed with the cream of Coward, there were some twenties versions of modern songs cropping up which make you do a double take. It was enchanting, but with just enough serious bits to give you a rest between the comedy. I loved it.
The roaring twenties are in full flow when John Whittaker has a whirlwind romance and brings his new American bride home to meet the family in their crumbling ancestral pile. Immediately a battle of wits ensue between his monster of a mother (the wonderfully clipped Kristin Scott Thomas) and Larita, a go-getter from Detroit (Jessica Biel). Colin Firth is the drop-out father still suffering from the stress of the Great War. Everyone is either jealous or in awe of Larita who as a city girl, feels totally trapped in the countryside, but she plays them at their own game, and there are skeletons in plenty of cupboards including her own to unearth! I also enjoyed a brilliantly wry turn from Kris Marshall as the butler.
I totally missed this film when on at the cinema, but the DVD was a joy. The soundtrack was an odd thing though - packed with the cream of Coward, there were some twenties versions of modern songs cropping up which make you do a double take. It was enchanting, but with just enough serious bits to give you a rest between the comedy. I loved it.
92 of 99 people found the following review helpful
By H V Thomas
Format:DVD
This is one of the best movies I have seen in a long while. It is very old English which I love. Kristin Scott Thomas plays the role perfectly and with every sneer and put down she has you laughing more and actually loving her more too. Colin Firth's classic moment has to be when he reminds his daughter she is English so she can fake it - pure English humour and so true!
This movie really shows the English aristocracy as most of us imagine them to be - silly, a bit pompous, stiff, anti-American (in a harmless way), snotty and into sick blood sports.
The comedy is more wit and intellectual rather than in your face humour which really adds to the whole effect. Everything is just beneath the surface but the way Kristin delivers her remarks is just gold. The moment in the stage show had us rolling around in the cinema aisles. That is worth seeing in itself and the audience was roaring.
As a Welshman in England this film really is everything about the English that I love and they are famous for so I really recommend this to anyone who loves a bit of good English culture, comedy and something set in "the good old days". I cannot wait for the DVD release so I can watch it again and again and again.
If you love the English watch this film and if you don't watch this film because you will love them by the end.
This movie really shows the English aristocracy as most of us imagine them to be - silly, a bit pompous, stiff, anti-American (in a harmless way), snotty and into sick blood sports.
The comedy is more wit and intellectual rather than in your face humour which really adds to the whole effect. Everything is just beneath the surface but the way Kristin delivers her remarks is just gold. The moment in the stage show had us rolling around in the cinema aisles. That is worth seeing in itself and the audience was roaring.
As a Welshman in England this film really is everything about the English that I love and they are famous for so I really recommend this to anyone who loves a bit of good English culture, comedy and something set in "the good old days". I cannot wait for the DVD release so I can watch it again and again and again.
If you love the English watch this film and if you don't watch this film because you will love them by the end.
35 of 39 people found the following review helpful
By E. Ward
Format:DVD
To reinforce a point made by other reviewers, this film is simply hilarious. I too spent the entire screening in fits of histerical laughter. A slightly rugged looking Colin Firth says what we all want to hear throughout the plot, much to the disgust of his on-screen wife, and together Firth and Jessica Biel provide the eye-candy for both parties. Their expert performances alone are enough of a reason to see this film.
'Easy Virtue' takes on the British aristocracy in a relatively unknown and under-explored period of history (at least to my knowledge, I'm more accustomed to seeing period dramas). The crazy characteristics of this frumpy age is taken on by Biel's character, a breezy, easygoing American who really DOESN'T fit into the family. The story that unravels is her plight to do so, with varying levels of success and hilarity.
This is a fantastic film, though a good sense of humour is required. Poking fun at we British is essential for the enjoyment of 'Easy Virtue'. It appeals to all ages, and will definitely be gracing my DVD player time and time again. Its not often that I pay full price for a DVD, but this will be one of them :-)
'Easy Virtue' takes on the British aristocracy in a relatively unknown and under-explored period of history (at least to my knowledge, I'm more accustomed to seeing period dramas). The crazy characteristics of this frumpy age is taken on by Biel's character, a breezy, easygoing American who really DOESN'T fit into the family. The story that unravels is her plight to do so, with varying levels of success and hilarity.
This is a fantastic film, though a good sense of humour is required. Poking fun at we British is essential for the enjoyment of 'Easy Virtue'. It appeals to all ages, and will definitely be gracing my DVD player time and time again. Its not often that I pay full price for a DVD, but this will be one of them :-)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By Ford Ka
VINE™ VOICE
Format:DVD
80 years after the first movie was made (by Alfred Hitchcock himself!) the play by Noel Coward was rediscovered for the screen by Stephan Elliott. The screenplay is somewhat closer to the play that Hitchcock's version, however, it was also altered, mostly in order to render the conflict more credible and interesting for the 21st century audience.
The result is decent entertainment for a snowy afternoon. The movie has some rather hilarious moments, guaranteed to make you laugh, although some may find them a little too much. The basic conflict of honesty against hipocrisy, however, which made the play a huge theatrical success back in the 1920s is largely gone. It takes a major bit of suspension of disbelief to take Coward's attack at hipocrisy at face value.
The result of the alterations has little of the original edge, it is rather a light period comedy which is saved by the remarkably good performances of Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas. The younger couple, Jessica Biel and Ben Barnes, are doing their best but, quite apparently, especially for the latter there is too little to work upon in the screenplay. The score is quite interesting with a mixture of 1920s songs, some by Coward, and some more recent songs, recorded in a jazzy style and sung by the actors, yet the songs are usually lost after the opening bars so if you like them, you should look for the album of the soundtrack.
The result is decent entertainment for a snowy afternoon. The movie has some rather hilarious moments, guaranteed to make you laugh, although some may find them a little too much. The basic conflict of honesty against hipocrisy, however, which made the play a huge theatrical success back in the 1920s is largely gone. It takes a major bit of suspension of disbelief to take Coward's attack at hipocrisy at face value.
The result of the alterations has little of the original edge, it is rather a light period comedy which is saved by the remarkably good performances of Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas. The younger couple, Jessica Biel and Ben Barnes, are doing their best but, quite apparently, especially for the latter there is too little to work upon in the screenplay. The score is quite interesting with a mixture of 1920s songs, some by Coward, and some more recent songs, recorded in a jazzy style and sung by the actors, yet the songs are usually lost after the opening bars so if you like them, you should look for the album of the soundtrack.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent!
Excellent - Super funny Must see film. Bought for my partner at Christmas as he kept telling me about one of his favourite films. Read more
Published 9 days ago by Sazzy Rose
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hilarious with groovy soundtrack
At first I didn't expect this film to be that good, but I brought it as a present for someone else and we watched it together. Read more
Published 29 days ago by Frank
3.0 out of 5 stars
Fun
I had a nice time watching this movie, I love the way everybody turns their attention to the actriz and how she can disturb the lifes of her hostes.
Published 2 months ago by S. N. Hidalgo Valdez
5.0 out of 5 stars
so funny
I bought this film as a gift, I enjoyed it & knew the person who I gave it to was going to enjoy it too
Published 2 months ago by mrs j peaston
5.0 out of 5 stars
absolutely fabulous inter war comedy-drama
I had a wet afternoon lit up when I put this film on. The story is adapted from Noel Coward's stage play but significant changes have been made especially to the main character,... Read more
Published 3 months ago by mosephineT
5.0 out of 5 stars
Superb humour
An excellent cast producing a sometimes subtle, sometimes obvious humour whilemaking a wonderful observation of family expectations. Read more
Published 4 months ago by dylan
4.0 out of 5 stars
very funny
light hearted and funny! jessica beil is brilliant and witty. loved it loved it loved it!!!! very very very funny!!
Published 5 months ago by Lizzie
2.0 out of 5 stars
Sadly disappointing
My memory played me false. I thought I had enjoyed this the first time I saw it, so I was sad to find that the film was shallow and irritating. Read more
Published 6 months ago by J Z O
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best films I have seen in a long time
I love this film. It portrays upper class life in the 1920s perfectly. The Photography is wonderful. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Mrs. J. A. Blackburn
5.0 out of 5 stars
FABULOUS FILM
Love, love , love it! Almost worn out because of the times I have watched this film. What a find
Published 6 months ago by D. Stallard
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