The Era In Film: Love and Friendship

 Often a film will come out and, although initially intrigued, I won't watch it until well after its release date or when it appears on streaming services. Such was the case with the late-18th century inspired film Love and Frienship starring Kate Beckinsale (at left in violet). This movie originally debuted in 2016, but is available via Amazon Prime currently. If you aren't familiar with it, that's probably because it had a very limited release, although where it was available it met with much critical acclaim. 

Based on a little-known 1794 epistolary novel by Jane Austen called Lady Susan, it follows the machinations of widowed Lady Susan Vernon who is determined to find a suitable match for herself and her daughter, while fending off the rumor-mill of society amidst her own indiscretions. The plot zips along, and it has a characteristic Austenian slant towards ironic commentary on the part of all of the characters, who seem incapable of true self-awareness. Underpinning the story, is a theme of brazen 18th century feminism. At one point the main character remarks to her friend, an American played by Chloe Sevigny, "Why ever did you marry a man too old to be managed and too young to die?" And manage the men they do. Actually, all of the women in the film do; from Lady Susan's sister-in-law who refers to her husband as "always so obliging" while influencing him to return them all to London for her own ends, and her own wilting mother who regularly hides matters from her husband to avoid his interference. 

The dialogue takes full advantage of the witty repartee allowed by the genre, and the viewer can't help but laugh throughout, as the whole misadventure wends its way towards an expected conclusion. The fun is in the journey, and the whole thing has much the same feel as a light stage comedy of the era. 

The one criticism I would offer is with the costumes. I don't know if there was a lack of funding for the costumes, or if there was a confusion of ideas, but whether we assume that the events take place in 1794 or not, there is far too wide of a spread of styles evident across the characters, and at times some odd "costumey" half measures, as if some things were purpose-made, and others pulled from the local community theatre stock. This would make more sense if the latter were solely on background characters or ones who are seen only briefly. I'm happy to overlook the use of a sheer net overskirt for one of Lady Susan's dresses as a fanciful take on the period, but it's mixed with hyper-realistic pieces on her daughter, and then we have an almost 17th century-eqsue collar on her friend, and several times it seems that characters wear the correct outer clothing without the necessary supports underneath. In short, there isn't a clear and consistent aesthetic beyond "late 18th century." That being said, the hair is well-executed and the locations and set dressing are a treat. Despite the costume confusion, I did really enjoy the overall look of the piece. 

It was a really entertaining film, and I would highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys this period and is looking for something less heavy than The Duchess with the wit of Pride and Prejudice and a dash of ironic feminism.

Film Review- Persuasion (1995)

I first read Persuasion, by Jane Austen about twelve years ago, and though I knew about this film version back then, it took me until just recently to see it. In the meantime Ciaran Hinds, who plays the romantic male lead, Capt. Frederick Wentworth, has become a much more familiar face, but even in this earlier work his acting chops are obvious. The problem with men in Jane Austen's novels is that they tend to be sort of stock characters; good, bad, brooding, fortune-seekers, snobs, indulgent fathers, but a few men get to be really conflicted. I sometimes think Persuasion would have been more interesting as told from Capt. Wentworth's point of view, as he tries to throw himself into his life on the high seas and forget about the daughter of a wealthy landowner who refuses his proposal. He returns to England after the defeat of Napoleon only to run into her again, and realizes he's not over her at all. It's an Austen novel, so of course it has a happy ending.

The actual story, however, is told from the woman, Anne Elliott's, point of view. Anne wanted to marry him, she loved him, but a nosy though well-meaning family friend persuaded (and keeps persuading) her not to. Quiet, obliging, a little on the older side, Anne does what's best for everyone else, which almost gets her married to the wrong man. Amanda Root does a great job with an essentially very straight-forward character. She's not a gorgeous Hollywood actress, and she does look a little bit older than our usual Emma, Jane, or Marianne "Austen heroines". I liked it. In fact, Persuasion may be my favorite Austen novel of all, because it suggests that it's never too late to find happiness, and that mousy people can learn to stand up for themselves and make the life that they want. Root shows all the patient suffering of a woman faced with the man she lost, watching him seem to move on. She looks simultaneously peeved and resigned that no one seems to think of her unless it's to get rid of her, and watching her play peace-maker between fractious relatives is humorous and sympathetic.

The lovely settings of the seaside, Bath, and the country all make for diverting and pleasant backdrops. The costumes are perfect, in that they aren't too luxurious, some of the diversity within uniforms is shown, and characters are more fully-rendered through what they wear. Our heroine is never too pretty, she shouldn't be, and yet she never looks shabby or ugly either, with a careful restraint in color that is bumped up towards the end.

A pleasant movie and an easy-to-read book, I recommend both to young and old alike.