De-Lovely is a musical, that shows us a glimpse into the famous song writer, Cole Porters life. He died about forty years ago.
Some Of The Cast
Cole Porter, (Kevin Kline), Linda Lee Porter, (Ashley Judd), Gabe, (his manager, was played by Gerald Murphy), Louis B. Mayer, (Peter Polycarpou, plays the famous Hollywood Producer), Susannah Fellows, (Mrs. Mayer), Irving Berlin, (Keith Allen), Ellin Berlin, ( Angie Hill).
My Review
The movie begins, when you see an old man, playing the piano alone. Gabe Pryce arrives to insist he go to the theater with him.
When Porter is seated you see him on the screen, in Paris, (1918). Pryce begins to prompt him to remember his life.
At first you think you are in a theater, until you realize that he has died and he is going through a life review, in the World To Come.
The world believes he is a top notch composer, but he doesn’t think he is.
People, who were part of his life come on the stage. I don’t know if you ever saw the TV show, This Is Your Life, but if you did it’s a little like that.
Their closest friends are Irvin and Ellin Berlin. The rest of the cast are people they party with.
We see when he meets Linda Lee, at a Parisian party. She goes after him. She knew he was bi-sexual/ homosexual, but she didn’t care.
Through most of the movie he keeps insisting he’s not talented. He’s convinced he just plays around on the piano.
Louis B. Mayer, his friends, Linda and Irving Berlin convince him to make a movie.
The Best Quotes
If I can survive this movie, I can survive anything!
I love you, and you have my affection, but I am more attracted to men. She replies, ’’I don’t have a lot of sex drive, so you can have your nights, if I can have your days.’’
How do you want to play this, like a musical comedy, or a Greek tragedy? (Linda says, ’’Why don’t we just play it?’’)
Look, an unmanned piano! (He stresses man.)
I’m making such a mess trying to say this, I’m glad I’m not trying to write it as a song. (Linda tells him it would be a wonderful serenade).
What I Thought
Judd and Kline are wonderful together. I can’t believe he would leave her for men.
I liked that we learned about his life through the small scenes we see on the screen.
Kline was fabulous as the confident young Porter. Porter was born a showman, and Kevin Kline, (although he doesn’t look like him), captured his soul.
Ashley Judd, (who has such a sweet face), looked posh. She was able to show that she knew about Porter’s lovers, but could still control herself and his life.
The screen play was a little weak. The earlier scenes a wonderful and the last scenes become a bit boring, since we continue to see the homosexual side.
The costumes fit perfectly with the era, and I thought it was interesting that Kline was not wearing one, at one point in the film.
When Linda begins to regret her pact with Cole, I could feel her pain more that his.
The sets showed us how rich people lived, in Europe, way back then.
This is the second movie about Cole Porters Life, (Anything Goes, was the first), and Winkler’s remake is not as good. It does, however show us more of his private life than Top Hat did.
The Music
There are 31 songs that Cole Porter wrote, in this movie.
The music was fabulous and included Anything Goes, Night And Day, Lets Do It, Begin The Begin, What Is This Thing Called Love, Let’s Misbehave, You’re The Tops, I Love You, It’s Just One Of Those Things, So In Love, Love For Sale, Every Time You Say Goodbye and It’s De-Lovely
Some of the songs were archive footage, while others were sung by Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello, Lemar Obika, Mick Hucknall, Natalie Cole, John Barrowman, Diane Krall, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette, (to name a few). As in all old musicals there was also a chorus.
It’s worth going to see the movie just to hear the music.
Directed by Irwin Winkler.
Written by Jay Cocks.
Rated PG
Release by MGM.
It takes about a hour and a half to see it.
If you want to know more about this film the link is:
https://delovelymovie.com
Thanks for reading my review. :)
©LL2005