De-Lovely Review
by Robin Clifford (robin AT reelingreviews DOT com)July 12th, 2004
"De-Lovely"
The marvelous music of Cole Porter has been a staple for the standards that have been sung by countless performers for well over half a century. The composer/song-writer's life was last brought to life on the movie screen in the 1946 "Night and Day" (starring Cary Grant and Alexis Smith) but the world is a different place and we get a very different look at this talented man, his life and loves in
"De-Lovely."
This biographical tome has all of the makings to be a great film and pay homage to a gifted musical force. You have, first of all, the ever-talented Kevin Kline (playing Porter, here) who rarely makes a false move in his career and is a versatile actor on many levels. Then, there is the litany of terrific music that came from the mind of Cole Porter, music that has resonated for decades – "Begin the Beguine, "I Get a Kick Out of You," "In the Still of the Night," "It's De-Lovely," "Let's Misbehave" and more are used to show the man's incredible ability. And, there is the who's-who list of current pop notables who flocked to do the music of the man – Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Natalie Cole, Robbie Williams, Diana Krall and others bring new life to Porter's great songs (and maybe a whole new audience with their fans).
But all these pluses come to naught as the film unfolds in a flat, non-compelling way that had me checking the clock every ten minutes. I can't quite put my finger on it, though. Maybe it is the musical within a musical format that has Jonathan Pryce as a Broadway director putting together a musical about the life of Cole Porter. The aging Porter joins him as they watch the younger Cole as the toast of Paris, an elegant bon vivant who lives the good life and is comfortable with the fame and attention his music brings. He meets Linda Lee (Ashley Judd) at a swanky party and is taken with her intelligence and charm. They wed and settle into a mostly chaste marriage as Cole seeks out same sex lovers, produces smash hit musicals and copes with the couple's ailments.
The pieces are all here to make a good musical film. The costumes and sets are lush and gorgeous. The cast, led by Kline and Judd, are good looking and have a lot of talent. The music and performances are second to none. But, in the end, I found that I simply didn't care. The script, by Jay Cocks, and directed by Irwin Winkler, never gets beyond the two-dimensional definition of the characters. Rather than seeing the life of a complex, talented man, we get a series of elegant episodes that showcase costumes and set but leave the actors to be stick figures. As much as I wanted to (I'm a big Kline fan) I could never get my arms around his Cole Porter and I did not really care about the man or the icon he has become. This is a shame because I have a great respect and appreciation for his music.
The film is, without a doubt, a stylish, well-crafted piece of work and is very clever with its story within a story frame. But, I think the stylishness and cleverness call too much attention and leave the players with little to do. It is good to see Ashley Judd in a role other than as a femme cop hunting a serial killer.
"De-Lovely" is a very good looking but woodenly executed film that will need to rely on its copious music to help it garner any box-office. That is certainly the biggest draw for me but not enough to recommend the film. I give it a C+.
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