User reviews

There's something very satisfying about a period piece that actually feels like a film that lives in another time and place. While Love & Friendship certainly isn't the thinker or entertainer that most of the films released in May, it has its fair share of laughs and uses its gorgeous locales and famous source material to its benefit as much as it can.

I don't consider myself the avid Jane Austen reader or fan of the media adaptations. In fact, I usually don't care for them much at all, but with rave reviews and a heavier reliance on comedy than romance, I decided to give Love & Friendship a shot. For the most part, it's an enjoyable film. I don't know how closely the writers attempted to stay to Austen's work, but one of the main issues to the film is the overabundance of characters. We are introduced to almost every single character within the first few minutes via opening credits, and it became overwhelming as a viewer.

I caught on to the characters after a while, but trying to remember everyone's names was quite the challenge, especially when they all talk, dress, and look relatively the same. With that said, it's far and away Kate Beckinsale's film as she plays the infamous Lady Susan Vernon. The story mainly focuses on Vernon's attempt to give her daughter and herself a new match, after being recently widowed. If not for anything else, Love & Friendship is entertaining just to purely watch Lady Susan manipulate just about everyone she crosses. The beauty being that you don't truly know if she's being manipulative or sincere, which is why the abundance of characters actually works in the film's favor.

Distracting the audience with new characters scene to scene keeps our attention away from what Susan is up to, hence surprising us with the next reveal. I can't say I was all that invested in the story itself, as it sometimes falls under the clichéd-romantic genre, but watching Beckinsale and the others have fun with the source material proved to be worth a viewing.

I also appreciated the film's keen sense of humor at just the right moments. There are moments when the comedy could steer towards over-the-top, but veteran director Whit Stillman kept it from getting out of hand. In all, if you're into Jane Austen or period piece romantic dramas in general, Love & Friendship is probably for you. If not, perhaps the humor and performances can reel you in.

+Timely humor

+Fun performances

+Witty writing

-A lot of characters can muddle the plot at times

7.0/10

Kate Beckinsale trades in her latex for hats and crinolines to take on Jane Austen in this moderately tongue-in-cheek adaptation of her posthumously-published novella in which pert modern misses Beckinsale & Sevigny dress up in a succession of magnificent period creations and sit about talking (and talking) about, well, love and friendship rather as Whit Stillman's characters used to do in twentieth century Manhattan.

It's all agreeable and good-looking, although the settings feel totally unlived in and everybody sounds as if they're simply reciting dialogue they've memorised in advance. Which of course they have.

I have read just about every Jane Austin novel and have seen many different versions of movies based on her books. As a guy, this makes me very unusual to say the least. But even women, who are usually the most die-hard fans of this great writer, only make up a small percentage of the population. Because of this, I feel safe in saying that a new film parody of Austin, Love & Friendship, is likely only to be seen by folks who love and appreciate her stories. For them, this film is a must-see. For everyone else...not so much. Now this is not because there's anything wrong with this new movie...on the contrary, it's very well made and was produced, surprisingly enough, by Amazon Films (yes, from amazon.com)! Quite surprising...especially for a lush period piece. But the average person simply won't understand or appreciate the very droll and dry humor. And, even if you are a fan, you really have to be into the language and pay close attention for all the nuances. Again...not a complaint...more an observation which will let you decide whether the film will be right for you.

This film, as in other Austin films, is set in the Regency period in Britain (the very early 19th century). However, the filmmakers actually chose to make the film in Ireland...and it's a nice substitute. When the film begins, Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) is abruptly leaving the Manwaring estate. You have no idea why but soon learn that Lady Susan is a rather poor woman and generally visits with friends and family in order to sponge off them. She also feels no particular obligation to pay her mounting debts...after all, she is Lady Susan! Her sister-in-law, Catherine Vernon (Emma Greenwell) isn't completely thrilled with the visit to her home, as Lady Susan has the reputation as a very beguiling yet vicious woman...all done with a smile. Catherine is also soon alarmed because her nice but slightly dim brother, Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel) is captivated by Lady Susan and would love to marry her. Oddly, despite Lady Susan being a horrible and conniving woman, when her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark) joins them at their estate, she is nothing like her mother...and the audience hopes and prays that dopey Reginald recognizes Frederica and Susan for who they truly are. However, Susan is determined to have Reginald for herself and instead foist the incredibly boring and stupid Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett) onto Frederica. Can this master manipulator be stopped or will she soon manage to make three other people completely miserable?

This film is quite funny but the humor is nothing like the long string of brain-dead and worthless parodies of films such as Disaster Movie and Date Movie. Instead of being broad and written for the average 10 year-old, Love & Friendship is often very subtle and is filled with wit that should appeal to Austin fans. But it's also the sort of well-crafted film that just has a limited appeal to broader audiences. It's a shame, as it's very well directed, sports a clever script and has lots of wonderful supporting actors such as Steven Fry and James Fleet (who is my favorite in the supporting cast). For fans of the author it's a must-see...others might just want to wait until this comes to Netflix or DVD.

For fans, I'd give this one a 10. For all others, perhaps a 5 or 6.

Something is tonally off about "Love & Friendship," Whit Stillman's screen adaptation of a Jane Austen novella. Stillman treats the film like a satire of Jane Austen, with all of the actors moving through the film practically winking at the camera to acknowledge they're playing dress up. The problem with that approach is that Austen was already a crack satirist herself. Therefore, the film doubles the emotional distance between the audience and the characters, so we have a hard time caring much about what happens to any of them.

Another big problem is the casting. Kate Beckinsale is a lovely actress, and she does imperious and haughty well. But her character is in virtually every scene, and she's supposed to be so irresistible that she can manipulate anyone to do anything she wants. Beckinsale doesn't have that kind of allure; she's technically proficient at hitting her marks, but she doesn't have the screen presence to carry this really rather despicable character off. I'm stumped to think of a modern-day actress who could, but Vivien Leigh would have been perfect in a role like this. The poor casting extends to other members of the cast as well, most egregiously to Chloe Sevigny, who is far too contemporary an actress to be believable in a period piece. Most everyone else in the film is a drip, with the sole exception of Tom Bennett, who plays a bumbling suitor brilliantly and enlivens the picture every time he's on screen. Would that the whole film had been as funny and engaging as his performance.

With Stillman maintaining too much of an ironical distance from the action, the film turns into a talky succession of drawing rooms conversations that don't amount to much of anything save a procession of pretty period gowns.

Grade: B-

The funniest character in the film is James Martin. He steals every scene he's in and each time he was on the screen I couldn't stop laughing. Unfortunately, he isn't in a lot of the film, and the rest of the movie's humor comes in the form of pithy one liners at the end of every scene. Sometimes I'd chuckle at those, but that'd be about it. There aren't any weak links in the cast, they all do a great job with what they're given, but I wish they were given something better. The movie moves at an incredibly slow pace, and with not a lot ever going on, it often feels like I'm being read a Jane Austen novel rather than watching a movie adaptation. The movie isn't "bad" by any means but there's so little going for it that I would consider noteworthy I can't really find myself ever wanting to sit through Love & Friendship again. Maybe if you absolutely LOVE period dramas from a design standpoint or are a huge Jane Austen fan, you'll get more out of this movie than I did, but otherwise there isn't much here.

"Love And Friendship" is not classified as a comedy but that's the only way it succeeds. Our website calls it a drama/romance but those labels don't capture the essence of Jane Austen's late 18th century novella, gorgeously filmed and impeccably acted by a predominantly British cast.

In a nutshell; Lady Susan is recently widowed and now relies on the kindness of friends and relatives for shelter as she is very short of money. So she bounces from estate to estate endearing herself to the menfolk and is notorious among the ladies. Lady Susan is very beautiful and flirtatious; a husband is needed to achieve stability as well as position, not to mention a reliable source of income (We have to infer much of this information from the plot; Lady Susan is not a flamboyant character, like Auntie Mame).

"Love And Friendship" sports first class production values as well as a sophisticated literary background. Kate Beckinsale is good as Lady Susan and the rest of the cast is even better. Midway through the film gets a needed boost from Tom Bennett, who plays the oafish Sir James Martin. He is an oasis in the midst of the arid screenplay, which cries for more of his bumbling presence.

This is a movie for grownups in a landscape festooned with juvenile entertainment. It is difficult to find fault with any part of this handsomely mounted production which is graced by Jane Austen's relentlessly clever dialogue and the skilled direction of Whit Stillman ("Metropolitan", "The Last Days Of Disco"). Well done all around despite the bland storyline.

Here's my beef with Love and Friendship. They told the story. Emphasis on told. Not sure if they didn't know how to build the character backgrounds and cultural implications into an hour and a half-ish flick or what. It's like they assumed you understood some things but, needed to explain the bulk of the story via Lady Susan. Instead of building the story via scenes and acting and playing out the idea and letting the audience think and work out the connections....leave a little to figure out if you got it right or not, Beckinsale's character basically narrarated everything that was going on. As we walked out, I said to my wife, Downton Abbey left a pretty high bar for period pieces. The Jane Austin story of relationships and status and morality was interesting enough. The presentation just plain left it all in the book. You read a book, and you know you're reading a book. Director Stillman just had the book read to us by actors. It wasn't as interesting as that may sound either. I don't know if it was budget over directing but, this was a disappointing movie-fication of a book. Even the period environment was stumbling and stiff. Oh yeah, a hand maiden should do this. Oh yeah, the footman or, doorman or butler would do this. It came across as a poorly staged amateur play, where there was no fluidity. Other reviews said you'd be laughing out loud. Maybe a few snickers and giggles. I was glad it was only 90-ish minutes. If you're coming to this because Downton Abbey made you a fan of that period of England, I'm sorry to tell you, you won't be satisfied by Love and Friendship.

Although I have enjoyed most other film adaptations of Jane Austin's novels, Love and Friendship left me decisively unimpressed. Its plot is fairly silly and it contains too many poorly developed characters. Even the more important characters are merely caricatures about whose richly gilded but silly lives I came to care not at all. There were a few unexpectedly clever lines of dialogue but not enough to hold my interest for 90 minutes. We have seen the eras' manners and morals portrayed many times before and this adaptation has nothing new to offer. Had I wandered into the theater without a companion, I would have slinked out after half an hour. It is not a terrible movie but it does not live up to its literary pretensions. I suspected that Ms. Austin would have been embarrassed to learn that such a slight work has gained such attention.

This is one of the few films I have seen where I was left wanting more. There were non stop laughs, funny sight gags and wonderful actors. It was wonderful to see Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny back together as well. Tom Bennett is truly a joy to watch and steals all of the scenes he is in. The costumes, sets, and acting are all top rate. The script, pacing and direction all make the movie flow at a fast pace. I was never bored and at the end of the film, I was left wanting more. This is one of the greatest compliments I can give to a film. Time does fly when you watch this film and feel free to laugh out loud when you watch it. Everyone else will be.

Ten out of ten

A scheming widow flees to the English countryside to settle the marriage prospects of her family.

Some superb characters and performances in a patchy production. Lady Susan has an interesting and sophisticated view of life, which is delivered in fine style by the lead actress: after furiously rebuking a gent for daring to approach her, she breezily excuses herself - "Of course I know him! I would never address a stranger in such fashion." But even more enjoyable is the unsquashable dunderhead, Sir James - the director makes great demands with extended scenes in which it must have been difficult to sustain the delicate humour, but the actor pulls it off brilliantly. Also a lovely scene with the de Courcy grandparents, as he tries to read her a letter.

On the debit side, the American exile isn't quite right - a great actress for close-ups, but here (as usual) she's just a sidekick, and can't bring the proper deviousness to her role. And the scene with her husband felt like the actors weren't sure it was working. And, in general, the camera or editing often seems misplaced in two-shots and over the shoulders.

There are big problems with the story, and about halfway through I was puzzled by a couple of scenes that seemed to refer to ghost events I didn't recall. And the resolution is frivolous, a disappointment after Lady Susan's musings on loyalty and emotion. I understand this is an early work by the great novelist, but I don't see why the story couldn't have been gussied up in the screenplay.

Another thing - clearly a great deal of compression in the writing and editing, as the opening titles hit us with a tidal wave of character intros, with the following scene an extreme example of entering late and leaving early. Fine, but the pace over the first ten minutes had me holding on by my fingernails as I tried to figure out what was happening to whom. It felt like everyone was frantic with worry over the slim running time.

The Irish locations are just right for the Georgian period. Music all chamber orchestra Baroque. Photography is fine, but doesn't balance out the threadbare direction and editing.

Overall: golden threads in a tattered rag.

Greetings again from the darkness. Jane Austen ROCKS! Sure, that might be a slightly exaggerated description of the writer who passed away almost two hundred years ago, and is known for such subtle and nuanced work as "Sense and Sensibility" and "Emma". But it's difficult to argue the fact that Ms. Austen's 2016 is off to an impressive start. First came Burr Steers' highly creative and entertaining "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", and now Whit Stillman delivers a cracking version of her (apparently) unfinished novella "Lady Susan".

Thanks to the standout performance from Kate Beckinsale, and the manner in which words from Austen and Stillman go zipping by (sometimes honestly, sometimes not), this is one fun and briskly-paced romp … more descriptions not typically associated with the prim Ms. Austen. Ms. Beckinsale as Lady Susan Vernon flashes spunk and comedic timing that we have not previously seen from her. She fits marvelously in the dress of the late 1700's, while packing a diabolical and manipulative nature more often displayed in contemporary settings.

The supporting cast seems to be having a marvelous time. Chloe Sevigny is Alicia, Lady Susan's confidant and gossip buddy … and one whose husband (Stephen Fry) continually threatens to ship back to Connecticut (as if it were the coal mines or outback). Emma Greenwell is Catherine DeCourcy Vernon, adversary and sister-in-law to Lady Susan, and Mofryd Clark plays Frederica, Susan's somewhat mousy and inconvenient daughter.

Though the women are standouts here, the men hold their own. Xavier Samuel is Reginald DeCourcy, the somewhat naïve and susceptible-to-advances-from-Susan young man, and Tom Bennett manages to steal most every scene as the quite silly and funny (and wealthy) Sir James Martin. Adding their own special touches are James Fleet and Jemma Redgrave as Sir Reginald DeCourcy and Lady DeCourcy, respectively; and Jenn Murray as Lord Manwaring … one of three suitors to Lady Susan.

This spoof/parody will strike a chord for anyone accustomed to the uptight nature of most period pieces, as well as the importance of status, decorum and the corresponding insecurities (a weakness the cunning Lady Susan will most certainly seize upon). Mr. Stillman (Damsels in Distress, The Last Days of Disco) is an immensely talented writer, and certainly a welcome complement Ms. Austen's posthumously published work. It's a deliciously funny and intricate story that features such quips of gold as "Facts are horrible things." Welcome to the zany verbal barrages of Lady Susan, Whit Stillman and Jane Austen. Yep … zany and Jane Austen in the same sentence. I told you she ROCKS!

Whit Stillman (Metropolitan/Damsels in Distress) reunites w/his lovely ladies from The Last Days of Disco, Kate Beckinsale & Chloe Sevigny, in this 2016 adaptation of a Jane Austin novella Lady Susan. In merry old England, the wages of the heart is underway as notable socialites in the 1800's battle to gain footing in the mating department. Beckinsale is a widow w/a daughter in the midst of a complicated game of matchmaking when she decides to stay at her in-laws only to have a slew of moves & countermoves come into her orbit which she manages to maneuver around like an accomplished chess master. Her confidante, Sevigny, an American ex-pat married to a Brit, played by Stephen Fry, aids her in her love follies where she hopes to wed her spawn to an exceedingly eligible bachelor before his parents can make heads or tails as to what's going on. I'm usually nervous when I see an American auteur try to tackle something as heady as Austin but Stillman's adaptation is a winning one w/the humor & slights of a phrase which more than compensates for the elaborate plot & the multiple characters which inhabit it. Also starring James Fleet (from Four Weddings & a Funeral) & Jemma Redgrave (from Howard's End) as pawns in this gambit but Tom Bennett nearly steals the show w/his dimwitted portrayal as a clueless land owner.

I have complicated feelings regarding Whit Stillman. "Metropolitan" and "The Last Days of Disco" were great films. "Barcelona" was OK, not spectacular. "Damsels in Distress" was awful, and was justifiably panned. I had high hopes for "Love & Friendship" after both the Boston Globe and the Boston Herald gave it good reviews. Sadly, it was not the return to form I was hoping for from Stillman. Yes, the dialogue was good and the acting was uniformly strong but the story was silly and not involving. I know that with a Stillman film you're not getting strict realism but the film was far too implausible for my liking. Also, Chloe Sevigny was totally wasted in a part that gave her nothing to do. Disappointed.

"Facts are horrid things." Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale)

We have lived through countless adaptations of Jane Austen's late 18th and early 19th-century romances, not the least Pride and Prejudice, but I guarantee none of us has seen the likes of Whit Stillman's Love & Friendship, which uses Austen's novella, Lady Susan, as its source. The lady's quote above should give you the flavor of her sweet venom that manipulates the most stolid and wary gentleman.

Where the usual screen version is chock-full of sumptuous estates, carriages, and costumes, Stillman's take starts with rich language, at times delivered with screwball pace, and adds the other elements as mere backdrop to drop-dead acid discourse with the upper-class men ample fodder for Austen's satirical pen.

Any man's match and then some, the Lady says this about Stephen Fry's Mr. Johnson, "Too old to be governable, and too young to die." When she learns that he could serve his wife a punishment by moving to Connecticut, Lady Susan says, "You could be scalped." Even the Americans are not spared her withering estimation.

As a woman in a man's world, Lady Susan navigates the best way she can: Her tongue and her lovely visage are formidable weapons in her quest to provide comfortable living for herself and her underachieving daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark).

Even the sub-plots are masterfully rendered, humorous in themselves but never overshadowing the main action of Lady Susan working everyone for her comfort and advancement. When Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett) is in a scene, watch a future comedy star in the making, but note how he doesn't dominate the scene but rather enriches it with his endearing blockheadness.

Love & Friendship is one of the finest Austen adaptations in film history and surely a brilliant testimony to the enduring charm of romance and its hyper-form, the screwball comedy.

Now here is a film which have divided audiences and critics significantly. Whereas critics have hailed Love and friendship a penetrating, brilliant dark comedy, ordinary moviegoers are certainly not as thrilled. I think a good litmus test for whether one would enjoy Love And Friendship is whether one enjoys the other Austen adaptations, or Austen novels. Most people who like the elegant, circumlocutory dialogue in the Austen novels(and films) would enjoy this film, for this film is extremely dialogue-heavy. Much of the humour is also hidden in the wry, witty dialogue, especially that from Lady Susan. And what a character Lady Susan is. Played by the inimitable Kate Beckinsale, Lady Susan is a master manipulator, a crafting, smug, witty, yet eminently likable character. Kate Beckinsales simply offers a powerhouse performance- she has a beautifully posh, confident voice, with such gorgeous inflexions that really brings the full cunning and the amiability of her character to life. Susan is a glib, eloquent, smooth talker able to wheedle her way out of any difficulty. But perhaps the films main selling point is also its problem- the presence of endless dialogue in this film may prove weary for many viewers. In a script which is so elegantly Austen, that is to say roundabout and difficult to decipher(usually the highlight of any Austen adaptation), having so much dialogue means so much brainwork, and many of the films witticisms may easily fly over a viewers head. The film may also lose some of its enjoyability as its pace slows in the middle section. But on the whole, Love And Friendship should be a treat for lovers of Austen, though it's dialogue-heavy approach, and it's reliance of comedy in dialogue over comedy in situation may prove difficult for some viewers.

Achieving the high point of commercial success among all Whit Stillman's films, LOVE & FRIENDSHIP, his fifth feature in 26 years, is an entrancing victory of the sophist and schemer Lady Susan Vernon (Beckinsale), a British upper-rung widow in the end of eighteenth century, who goes to great lengths to secure a well-heeled marriage for her eligible daughter Frederica (Clark) and for herself, if possible.

It is genuinely helpful when Stillman chooses to present each character in successive tableaux in advance with their background infos according to their locations, so audience will not easily get lost in the brisk pace of this dialogue-laden comedy. Lady Susan, is a widow with an unsavory reputation, has no estate or fortune of her own, her last resort is to stay with the family of her brother-in-law Charles Vernon (Edwards) in a tedious town named Churchill after causing a scandal with Lord Manwaring (O'Mearáin), "a divinely handsome man" quotes his name card.

But, Lady Susan will never succumb to the status quo, she initiates a growing rapport with Reginald DeCourcy (Samuel), the younger brother of Charles' biddable wife Catherine (Greenwell), whilst trying to cajole Frederica into marrying an inane parvenu Sir. James Martin (Bennett), a heavenly creature blessed with utter benightedness and sizable fortune, and devoid of any trace of self- consciousness, to the extent of inducing transcendent amazement. But Frederica doesn't bow to her mother's consistent coaxing, she thinks she can making a living by teaching, what a callow gal!

Just when the moderately good-looking but (overtly) snooty Reginald falls head over heels for Lady Susan, counter to the warnings of Catherine and their worried parents (Fleet and Redgrave), and as Lady Susan admitted with her confidant, the American lady Alicia (Sevigny), that her motive is merely to take Reginald down a peg or two of his superiority, things swerve to a more dramatic turn when Reginald finds out Lady Susan has never severed the tie with Lord Manwaring at first place, and even being caught red-handed, she can effortlessly turns the tables on Reginald and takes a pre-emptive measure to hang him out to dry by breaking their vow of matrimony, which further pushes him closer to Frederica, who would be a more suitable bride for him in all regards. In the final revelation, Lady Susan takes the advice from Alicia, a new marriage arrangement presents a superbly happy ending to everyone (barring the hysterically shrill Lady Manwaring), who can say a woman cannot have everything?

For inveterate misogynists, the film can hardly be their cuppa, it potently vindicates a woman's undivided manipulation to get what she wants, and all its male characters are either downright ridiculed or broadly rendered as completely witless and predictable. But under that specific context, a hierarchically patriarchal society, there is not many alternatives available for a lady in her place, love is defenselessly secondary to a secured life, but for a woman as smart as Lady Susan, she can obtain both if given her a chance.

The film marks the reunion of the two leads from Stillman's THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998), Beckinsale seizes a meaty role which allows her lap up in her native British accent to toy with oration of hyperbole and sophistication, perhaps a Golden Globe nominee is waving at her at last after a 15-year-stint in the Hollywood trying to establish herself as a serious actress since her breakthrough in Michael Bay's PEARL HARBOR (2001); as for Sevigny, who is patiently engrossing as a woman constantly on the risk of being sent back to Connecticut (even be scalped) by her husband if she keep meeting her ill-famed best friend, her understated presence is a crucial transmitter to impart exposition through all the tangles (a maneuver to counterbalance the source novella's epistolary structure). The whole cast has done a commendable job, with Bennett as the indisputable cynosure thanks to Stillman's deliberate frivolousness. One thing seems a bit jarring is the character of Frederica, who is introduced as a rejector from her school but turns out extremely well-mannered, makes one wonder what possible could she has done to deserve such a punishment other than being a shoddy plot device. Nevertheless, LOVE & FRIENDSHIP is a crisply orchestrated period comedy has no problem of charming the less narrow-minded with a tantalizing 90-minute mind game.

With the current rating at seven which I have seen before the film, I thought that the film would be a good one, but I was wrong. This is not a good film ( for me). Although I do like films with similar settings and I do liked the films which seems to be more of a theatre plays than actual films, this one was ...

rather boring, not really entertaining, not funny at all ( as the film poster and some critics said), quite rushed ( if I may say) and you do not really get to understand the motives behind some of the characters moves. And that rococco /baroque music was not really fitting in my opinion.

As for the actors/acting... as I mentioned, the film is close to a theatre play, so, yes, the actors were kinda good for a piece of theatre but for the film... not so sure.

I would only recommend to watch this if you really really do not have anything else to watch. It is not entirely boring and uninteresting, but it is far from an entertaining piece.

My rating is four ( though it may deserves a star more).

Set in 1790, Kate Beckinsale plays Lady Susan Vernon, an 18th century cuckoo-like 'MILF' (actually, more 'LILF', but using the 'Lady' term loosely) who with her glamorous demeanour is lusted after by both younger beaus as well as married aristocracy: an example being Lord Manwaring (Lochlann O'Mearáin).

Playing many different ends against the middle, Lady Susan – with the collusion of her American friend Alicia (Chloë Sevigny) – attempts to both find a suitably rich suitor for her daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark) as well as finding a rich husband for herself to allow her to stay in the manor (sic) to which she has become accustomed. A tale of deception, pregnancy and a marriage of convenience follows: does Lady Susan have to choose between her sexual desires and the rich, stupid and dull Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett, "David Brent: Life on the Road"). Or can she have her cake and eat it?

Based on a Jane Austen short story, "Lady Susan", this is a delight from beginning to end. However, it does require the attention of the viewer: characters get introduced to you in rapid fire succession, and keeping track of who's who and how they interrelate is quite a challenge.

But this is a tour de force for Kate "Underworld" Beckinsale who delivers a depth of acting ability that I've not seen from her in the past. Her comic timing is just sublime, and while comedies are often overlooked in Awards season, this is a role for which she richly deserves both BAFTA and Oscar recognition.

Stephen Fry joins what is a superb ensemble cast. But outstanding among them is Tom Bennett who is simply hilarious as the nice but dim Sir James. The comic routine about his misunderstanding of "Churchill" (Church – Hill) – a running gag – is sublime and a challenger (with "Was that it t'were so simple") for the comedy routine of the year.

Directed by Whit Stilman ("The Last Days of Disco") from his own screenplay, this is one for the more sophisticated viewer: requiring of your full attention, but a treat for the eyes, ears and brain.

(For the graphical version of this review please visit http://bob-the- movie-man.com. Thanks.)

Love & Friendship

A best friend during Victorian times was someone who could write copious letters without hand cramps.

Fortunately, the friends in this romantic-comedy meet face-to-face on occasion.

Unable to obtain her deceased husband's fortunes due to previous liaisons, Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale) must find her daughter (Morfydd Clark) a prosperous suitor to keep their high society standings.

Her plan plays out at her brother's country estate – and through correspondence with her American friend (Chloë Sevigny) – where she hopes to pawn off her first-born on dimwitted Sir James (Tom Bennett), and claim her brother's friend (Xavier Samuel) for herself.

But her past indiscretions and an unplanned pregnancy threaten her plot.

One of very few period comedies around, this adaptation of communiqués composed by Jane Austen is quite cheeky, whilst remaining rather proper. More surprising is Beckinsale's performance as the coquettish countess.

Thankfully, nowadays, daughters can pick their own rich husband to marry.

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Ten minutes in and I thought I was watching an amusing parody of Jane Austen. The costumes and sets were all immaculate, but the dialogue was... stilted and hard to follow and just plain silly. But after 30 minutes, it began to dawn on me that this was no parody, but merely a bad adaptation of a bad first attempt by Ms. Austen at novel-writing. I should have known better -- this is premium Whit Stillman, who has spent the last quarter-century gradually mastering the art of boring an audience to death with superficial pseudo-sophisticated twaddle. This may well be his piece de resistance. I managed to resist turning it off for all of 50 minutes before my yawns forced me to surrender.

Whit Stillman adapts Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan. Rather than a comedy of manners and matchmaking. This is better viewed as a social romp of survival and social climbing.

Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale) is a relatively young impoverished widow. She wanders about living house to house of various friends and relatives. A social flirt who is having an affair with Lord Manwaring but thrown out when his wife suspects.

Now moving into her brother in law's house. Lady Susan is looking for a social match for her daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark) and maybe one for herself.

The dimwitted baronet with a good income Sir James Martin is suitable for Frederica but she doesn't want him. Frederica does have an eye for someone Lady Susan is interested in.

Performed with gusto by Kate Beckinsale. It needed to be more bawdier than prim. More Tom Jones than Emma. The humour and satire does not always cut through.

It moves along nicely with music in the style of Michael Nyman.

My wife and I rented this film recently, having seen a promising trailer, and a reasonably good IMDb rating. Having now watched the film in its entirety, however, rarely have we ever been so utterly disappointed. I can understand why the IMDb popularity seems to be on a firmly downward trend.

The only positive aspects of this sloppily directed film were the costumes, locations and soundtrack - and OK performances by a couple of actors playing supporting characters, in particular James Fleet. Kate Beckinsale was unconvincing in this role, and Chloe Sevigny's curiously variable accent here was compounded by often mumbled diction. For much of the film, Xavier Samuel appeared to be offering little more than an admittedly pretty accurate imitation of the young Hugh Grant. The story line was disjointed and none of the characters ever really engaged the viewer, and at times the plot appeared to have gaps and non sequiturs - we each wondered if we'd dropped off for short periods, but this unfortunately was not the case.

In many ways this serves as an object lesson in why Jane Austen's meticulously constructed novels are such masterpieces of storytelling - each scene and dialogue fits perfectly like clockwork. We have not had the benefit of reading the novella in question,'Lady Susan', but this film leaves the impression of having been clumsily and carelessly assembled from a series of sketches. Excellent films can be very successfully adapted from little known short stories, for example with The Painted Veil (from Somerset Maugham). This is definitely NOT a good example, and we would advise readers, whether Austen fans or not, to look elsewhere.