Love and Friendship
classified UPlease note: This was screened in June 2016
The cattier, comic side of Jane Austen comes to life in a return to form for director Whit Stillman (Damsels in Distress, The Last Days of Disco) in this laugh-out-loud adaptation of Austen’s long-unpublished novella Lady Susan.
Stillman infuses this sharp-witted, frisky tale with a bubbly effervescence as the widowed Susan (Kate Beckinsale) manoeuvers her way through society and finagles her way out of scandal while trying to gain matrimonial advantage for herself and her daughter during a visit to her in-laws. But will anyone be a suitable match for the sly and coy Lady Susan?
Witty and spry from start to finish, Stillman’s adaptation - set in the 1790s - feels remarkably contemporary in its class analysis and use of humor. Eimer ni Mhaoldomhnaigh’s costume designs, the period detail in Anna Rackard’s production design, and strong supporting turns from Chloë Sevigny and Tom Bennett add to the rich tableau. Stillman’s first film in five years is one that confirms his status as one of modern cinema's most distinctive filmmakers and a droll chronicler of the urban leisure class - no matter the era.