Rating: 
Summary: Wins on story, loses on subtleties
Review: Straight people will probably give straight people awards for this one. Despite it's very many short-comings, I enjoyed this film, and would recommend it to friends. The soundtrack (ASIN: B00023GGHQ) is already in my "Buy" cart.The aged, late Cole Porter (Kevin Kline) reviews his life as a directed (Jonathan Pryce) performance. Irwin Winkler directs this musical biographic drama, which centers on the "love" affair between Cole Porter and his wife, Linda. It reveals her acceptance of Cole's homosexual life-style, and the effects it had upon their marriage. Cole's significant gay relationships are footnoted. An array of artists (Alanis Morissette, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Vivian Green, Robbie Williams, etc) add a modern tribute to many of Cole Porter's hits. Ashley Judd gives a stunning performance as wife Linda Porter. Kevin Kline's performance as both young and old Cole Porter is a gem, while never once being believable as a bi-sexual/homosexual. Indeed all of the gay characters were either overacted stereotypes or underactedly sterile. Straight people's imaginings of what gay relationships and life-styles are like. The brevity of Cole's homosexual encounters (only seen with pecking kisses, and getting dressed exiting after sex) were reminiscent of 1970s cinematic portrayals and subtracted from the story, de-emphasizng Linda's need to feel jealous. The film offers a welcomed view into Cole Porter's bi/gay personal life, but only as seen through straight glasses. If you are a purist, the historical inaccuracies and mordern use of his music will probably drive you crazy. Though, there are a few historical gems in this film, omitted from other biographies, because of the access granted to the filmmakers. The modernization of the music may not be appropriate for a bio-pic, but it served well as a musical storytelling soundtrack. Actually, the soundtrack is just plain FUN!! Vivian Green singing "Love For Sale" was worth the price of admission, alone. If you're into fairly current music, the line-up of artists singing Cole Porter tunes is an eye-catcher. Despite the fact that you leave the film with a wealth of minor unexplained details, after a disjoint attempt at a happy ending...this film will actually find you BOTH beating to the musical numbers and teary-eyed. It's "small" budget certainly doesn't show. It's acting is spot-ily great. It is often very moving. The dialog has charm, and many true one-line gems. It's entertainment value is quite high. Cole Porter's songs and tunes can catch anyone's attention, and are introduced to a new generation. Though, "De-Lovely" may not be de-lovely, I found it to be entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Hard life set to beautiful music
Review: The 1930's weren't an especially easy time to be gay and in the limelight. Add to that a tragic riding accident, and you have the darker shadows of Cole Porter's life.
On the other hand, Mr. Porter created some of the most loved and performed songs of the past century. I really had no idea how many until I saw this film.
Kevin Kline renders an amazing performance from young to old Cole Porter. What's so wonderful about Kline's acting is he literally 'takes you there'. For moments, I really thought I was watching a documentary about Cole Porter rather than an actor performing in a film.
"DeLovely" shows Cole shining bright but with those fatal flaws we are all prone to. Definitely a must have for music lovers and lovers of history.
Rating: 
Summary: The music made the man and his passions come to life!
Review: This is the story of Cole Porter, as played by Kevin Kline, told through the device of his life as a musical. At first this turned me off. After all, I don't like musicals. But five minutes into the story and I was hooked. And then I sat there spellbound for the next two hours as one familiar tune after another shaped Cole Porter's world and made the man and his passions come to life.
The film starts in the Paris of the 20s, when American ex-patriots had a grand old time going to parties and spending money. They dress in great clothes and smoke a lot of cigarettes and it seems they do nothing but play. Its here he meets his future wife, the lovely Linda Lee played by Ashley Judd. She's been recently divorced and Cole is immediately attracted to her. There's a very special connection between them that will last a lifetime, even though they will never been a typical couple. It's true that Cole loves her deeply but he also likes men and never stops indulging those desires.
The couple is filthy rich. Not only do they both have money in their own right, but Cole is a very successful songwriter and these wonderful songs are performed throughout in a way that moves along the plot as the lyrics supplement the dialog for further insight into the characters.
We watch the couple travel. From Paris to New York to Hollywood and back again. They are enormously successful and always well dressed but there is also angst in their relationship, especially when Cole runs off for his little flings and when a pregnancy that they want so much results in a miscarriage. However, it is absolutely clear that they are true lovers in every sense of the world.
Tragedy strikes though. Cole is thrown from a horse and his legs are crushed. He spends the last 25 years of his life going through multiple operations and eventually having a leg amputated. Linda's cigarette smoking, which was once an symbol of freedom, turns to disease and eventually kills her. And somehow, the writers of this film managed to get this all in against the background of familiar tunes that are so entrenched into American culture that they are part of me as well. Wisely, they are performed in context and I never once had the feeling which I tend to feel in many musicals, which is "why don't they stop singing and get on with the story". If there is any criticism De-Lovely, it would be that it too romantic and too idealized. But sometimes, it's good to turn away from the horrors of the world for a little while and just plain "enjoy".
Rating: 
Summary: De-Awfully Done
Review: This movie is awful. The devise is overly cerebral and the movie is billed as something it is not. Premise: During the final 10 minutes of Cole Porter's life, his life flashes before him, with a twist. The angel Gabriel sits in on the replay of Porter's life presented as a stage production rather than a flashback. Cleverly, the life is staged in the first theater in Porter's life and starts at the moment he meets his future wife, Linda, in Paris. We are wrong to believe this film is biographical. This devise is the platform upon which Porter's songs are staged, explored, meanings revealed and context presented. This movie has more in common with the stage production Jacque Briel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris than the usual film biography. As intended, Porter's songs come alive, although some are awkwardly staged. This movie makes you realize how little we sing about love with a sense of joy and fun anymore. But the story of his life along with Linda's never springs to life and the film does not do justice to their love and the depth of their intimacy.
The skeleton of Porter's life is there. He lives in Paris, meets Linda, a divorcee with a battered past. They move to Venice, entertain a lot, Porter cheats a little. They move to New York to work with Irving Berlin, Porter has success on Broadway, goes to Hollywood, has many, many affairs with men who are attracted by his work and his position. Porter has success at MGM and finds more men available than he ever imagined and jumps right in. Linda is his muse and companion in life and society, his indiscreet homosexual straying breaks the implicit contract they live by, she leaves, then comes back when a riding accident leaves him crippled. They leave the West Coast for the gentrified East. We learn that Cole Porter is blackmailed, as is Linda, and ends up in a wheelchair. He eventually has a leg amputated, which finally breaks the dandy side of his personality that age could not even dent.
The performances are dreadful. Kevin Kline has never sounded or looked worse. He looks especially bad in the Special Features interviews. Ashley Judd looks great. But, she is only partly successful in convincing us she is a woman so in love with a man's talent, wit, charm and work, she doesn't need anything else. There is very little warmth projected between these two people throughout this movie, Yet, one scene, where the couple lose one another to Linda's death, was sad and feels genuine.
This is a story that deserves to be told again. Linda marries Cole Porter fully aware he is homosexual. They share an intimacy that is soiled by the film's attempt to label it. Was it a friendship, a marriage, a partnership, a collaboration, a contract? Maybe all those things or none. But the relationship must have been beautiful and, above all, very human. Perhaps today, we just cannot accept a non-physical relationship between any combination of the two genders, without sticking a name on it. We've let sex overwhelm every other dimension that explains a relationship, at least on screen. Without it, we don't seem to know what to make of two people. Sad. Almost as sad as this movie.
|
