A Review by Phil Calabro
*** #9 - TOP 10 OF 2004 ***
2004, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Dir. Irwin Winkler, Starring Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce, Kevin McNally, Sandra Nelson, Allan Corduner, Peter Polycarpau, Keith Allen, James Wilby, Kevin McKidd, Richard Dillane, Edward Baker-Duly, Tayler Hamilton
De-Lovely shows its self not only to be a promising musical, but an excellent alternative if 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is sold out once again in the same cineplex. I get a real kick out of musical movies, but other than 'Chicago', film revisions have really been disappointing. Director Winkler hits the nail on the head when it comes to personifying the glitzy twenties through the infamous composer Cole Porter. Porter, who wrote and directed several plays such as 'Kiss Me Kate' and 'Anything Goes', was a prominent figure in Hollywood at the time, but led an obscure life, as well as a jilted relationship with his wife Linda. 'De-Lovely' contains an eclectic mix of great tunes from great singers, as well as the super casting job of Kevin Kline as Cole Porter, and promises to be one of the best musicals I've seen in a while.
The film is merely a bio-pic of the life of Cole Porter (Kline), a reportedly bisexual playwright and songwriter whose height of fame reached around the 1920s and -30s. In the fashion of a "This is Your Life" episode, an aged Cole watches and comments on his past as he watches before his very eyes. During the run, we see how a young Cole starts off his career playing the piano at small social gatherings and then eventually falls in love with the beautiful Linda Lee (Judd), who he eventually marries. But behind the curtains, Cole has had a gay lover (Wilby) who he tries to forget since he is married, but has conflicting feelings for his wife anyway. We watch as he wins deals with MGM head Louis Mayer to create film renditions of his musicals, and becomes paralyzed towards the end of his life, and how it affects the way he composes.
The casting of Kline was absolutely perfect - he has both the grace and skill of Cole Porter, as the lyrics stream smoothly from his mouth. Every scene he is in, he doesn't bore us with typical tripe that the screenwriters throw into dramas, but a load of passion and wit instead. Although there are differences between this and the real Cole Porter, who was short, ugly, and false-pitched, Kline makes the character loveable and gives him a soul. The most incredible feature, and I'm not sure whether to credit the screenwriters or Kline or both, but the fact that Cole Porter is not your average film homosexual. His relationship with his gay lover is not flashy and accented, but more edged to be a intrinsic plot element. Ashley Judd was also a fine casting job, and her chemistry with Kline is equally impressive. Towards the end, everyone in the audience will be close to tears, thanks to the job Kline and Judd do as an aging Porter couple.
The narration by Porter is a great touch, leaving off the film on a good note. It's usually a bunch of cynical jabs at Porter's singsong/melodramatic tunes, which the aged Cole complains are completely off-pitch. The best feature is, of course, the musical numbers. A whole crowd of modern singers do covers of all the classics: Sheryl Crow croons 'Begin the Beguine', Robbie Williams sings the title song, and Alanis Morissette hums the risque tune of 'Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)'. They all are featured as entire musical numbers, not which necessarily are shown in a theatrical setting, but in clubs and venues that the Porter couple visits. It's an great combination of realtime and classic cinema.
I should hope more people go see 'De-Lovely'. It may seem to many just an ordinary romance story with song, but it's got a sentimental touch over any of the blockbusters out in theaters. Kevin Kline shines as Cole Porter, making me wonder how he'll pull off the role as the nefarious Chief Inspector Dreyfus in the 'Pink Panther' remake. It's wild, happy, and something that I can't really describe - in other words, "it's delightful, it's delicious, it's de-lovely."
