Easy Virtue (2008)

Nearly 10 years after his last film director Stephan Elliot brings us Easy Virtue. I enjoyed both Eye of the Beholder and Priscilla Queen of the Desert and having seen a documentary on the making of the former I was surprised to see a new film from him at all! Killing Priscilla is a documentary filmed during the making of Eye of the Beholder. If you want to be a director I strongly suggest you seek it out and watch it as it is one of the most candid and incredible accounts of film-making I have ever seen, but anyhow on to Easy Virtue.

Based on the Noel Coward play, Easy Virtue is certainly an easy to watch and entertaining film. A young Englishman meets and falls in love with an American gal and brings her home to meet the parents. In fact, this film has quite a bit in common with Meet the Parents only in a period setting. We get wonderful performances by all involved, I particularly liked Colin Firth's disheveled portrayal of the Colonel, and Kristen Scott Thomas captures the cold and manipulating Mother perfectly too.

The film is beautifully shot in cinema scope with great use of the English manors and countryside. The music selection is interesting, with use of a brass swing band to play songs such as Car Wash and Sex Bomb as only a 1920's swing band could, as well as providing an upbeat score.

On the whole I enjoyed watching Easy Virtue. The dialogue was witty and edgy as Noel Coward often is, the performances were excellent and the experience was altogether refreshing in this time of action blockbusters who substitute effects for plot.