De-Lovely is a 2004
American
/British
musical biographical film directed by Irwin Winkler. The
screenplay by
Jay Cocks
is based on the life and career of
Cole
Porter, from his first meeting with
Linda Lee Thomas in 1918 until moments
before his death in 1964. It is the second biopic about the
composer, following
Night
and Day released in 1946.
Plot synopsis
In the
final moments of Porter's life, it flashes before him in the form
of a musical production staged by
the archangel Gabriel in the Indiana
theater
where the composer first performed on stage. From the start,
Linda is aware of Cole's
gay feelings, but her
love for and devotion to him are strong enough for her to overlook
his romantic flings outside their marriage.
But when he fails to
show up at one of his own opening night parties and doesn't come
home until the following morning, she finds it impossible to ignore
his indiscretion and the continuous innuendos in his songs and goes
to Paris
, leaving him
bereft. Not until he is injured in a horseback riding
accident that seriously cripples him does she return to his side,
willing to forgive but still finding it difficult to cope with his
extramarital affairs. Cole is photographed in an amorous embrace
with another man in the rest room of a
gay
nightclub, and both he and Linda are
blackmailed into paying a heavy settlement to suppress publication
of the pictures. Eventually she is diagnosed with
lung cancer, and as she prepares herself and her
husband for her impending death, she attempts to forge a
relationship between him and her
interior decorator so he'll have a
companion following her death, which deeply affects him. The
eventual amputation of his right leg adds to his deep depression,
affecting his creative output.Porter becomes increasingly
seclusive, as well as becoming more dependent on alcohol.
Production notes
Although
Porter was a passable singer at best, director Irwin Winkler cast
Kevin Kline, winner of two Tony Awards and two Drama Desk Awards for his musical
performances on Broadway
, as the
composer. He stayed in character by limiting his vocal
range. Most of his singing was recorded live on the set, and the
actor played the piano himself in the scenes where Porter
plays.
According to Winkler's commentary on the DVD release of the film,
he had considered numerous actresses for the role of Linda when
Ashley Judd's agent advised him she was
interested in the part. Winkler was certain her salary demand would
exceed that allowed by the budget, but the actress was so anxious
to portray Linda she was willing to lower her usual asking price.
Judd is twenty years younger than Kline, although the composer's
wife was eight years older than he.
Filming
locations included Chiswick
House
and Luton
Hoo
.
The film
premiered at the Cannes Film Festival
. It was shown at the CineVegas International
Film Festival, the
Sydney Film
Festival, and the
San
Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival before
going into limited release in the US.
The film grossed $13,337,299 in the US and $5,059,083 in foreign
markets for a total worldwide box office of $18,396,382.
Principal cast
Soundtrack
Critical reception
In his review in the
New York
Times, Stephen Holden called the film "lethally inert" and
"lifeless and drained of genuine
joie de
vivre" and added, "It didn't have to be like this. In their
highly stylized ways,
All That
Jazz (
Bob Fosse's morbidly manic
screen
autobiography),
Ken Russell's surreal portraits of composers or
any of
Federico Fellini's
libidinous self-explorations have delved deeply into the muck of
artistic creativity. Sadly, the daring and imagination required to
go below the surface are nowhere to be found in
De-Lovely."
Ruthe Stein of the
San
Francisco Chronicle said, "The movie never gels - despite
Kline's nuanced performance, the stars' exquisite period clothes
designed by
Armani, and, of course, Porter's
great songs. Director Irwin Winkler's highly stylized technique is
difficult to connect with emotionally. His film also suffers from
shockingly sloppy editing for a studio production. If nothing else,
the composer . . . deserves a movie that has rhythm. But
De-
Lovely lurches along like a car with a missing spark
plug."
In
Rolling Stone,
Peter Travers rated the film three out of a
possible four stars and commented, "In voice, manner, patrician
charm and private torment, Kevin Kline is perfection as legendary
composer Cole Porter . . . At its best,
De-Lovely evokes a
time, a place and a sound with stylish wit and
sophistication."
Steve Persall of the
St.
Petersburg Times graded the film C- and observed, "The
movie is actually an ugly compilation of clashing cinematic styles
occasionally salvaged by musical numbers that essentially are part
of the problem. You can't make a good movie about a 1930s composer
using a 1970s film conceit while hiring 21st century recording
artists to perform Porter's classic songs. A tribute CD, maybe, but
not a movie . . . [it] plays like a cabaret review rather than a
motion picture, a sublime collection of songs linked by scripted
banter barely scratching the surface of its subject. Not
delightful, not delicious, just disappointing."
Awards and nominations
See also
References
-
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2004-06-29-porter-side-linda_x.htm
-
http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2004-06-29-delovely-main_x.htm
- De-Lovely at TheNumbers.com
- New York Times review
- San Francisco Chronicle review
- Rolling Stone review
- St. Petersburg Times review
External links
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