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One requirement for producing Noel Coward's works on
stage or on film is a fine ensemble cast: if any of the
characters is weak, the ring of intrigue and crackling dialogue
fizzles. Stephan Elliott (who also directs) and Sheridan
Jobbins have managed to capture in the script the atmosphere
and the essence and the tone of Coward's play EASY VIRTUE
and with a cast that would be difficult to improve upon
have created a sparkling bit of talky nostalgia that resurrects
Noel Coward's position in the world of theater.
The story is simple in concept: a haughty English family,
feeling their foundations crumble, must face the new marriage
of the heir apparent son to (of all trashy things) an American
girl. How each member of this dysfunctional family deals
with the surprise arrival of the son and his 'cheap' wife
provides not only an hilarious and endless flow of quips
and spunky dialogue but also a study in class distinction/prejudice.
Ben Barnes is the epitome of the heir apparent who has fallen
for the American Jessica Biel (in a multifaceted performance
that marries comedy to drama), Kristin Scott Thomas is the
snobby disapproving matriarch, Colin Firth is the bruised
patriarch, the sisters are the 'good' Kimberly Nixon and
the 'bad' Katherine Parkinson. To top it off the sage butler
is portrayed by Kris Marshall, the only truly sane member
of the odd group of characters.
The period piece is played to perfection with a musical
score that is flavorful and nostalgic and scenery that captures
the fading glow of England as the empire fades post World
War. Each of the characters tosses off Coward's delectable
lines so smoothly that some of the humor and caustic wit
are lost on first viewing but are compensated for in repeated
viewings.
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