Relative Values

For anyone who enjoys British class distinctions and the upstairs-downstairs culture of life among the manor born, this stylish tale of a Hollywood actress who is preparing to marry into a quirky aristocratic family is sumptuously designed and a great deal of fun. Julie Andrews shines, as does Jeanne Triplehorn and Stephen Fry as the butler who is impeccably correct amid the chaos which ensues when things inevitably begin to go awry. It is a farce that absolutely works. The 1950s era is captured with elegant attention to detail and the characters, for all their foibles, are likable and thoroughly engaging. Great entertainment for anyone who is lucky enough to happen upon it!

Most of the criticism has been because the gags of Noel Coward about class are not so funny now as they were then. But that is just to judge the film by the play. It's *mildly* funny - I dozed at the beginning but then woke up when I realised how enjoyable it was. The real gems are the superb performances all the way through and the way English and American life, mannerisms and etiquette of the 50's (when they were far more distinct) are portrayed so touchingly. Luxuriate in a nice comfy cinema seat (if they have them near you) and be pampered by it!

This is based on a Noel Coward play, so you should know what to expect.

It is very nicely done - the locations look great (Isle of Man standing in for Kent), the cars and clothes are fabulous, and the casting is excellent. Stephen Fry plays a butler (again) with some Jeevesian touches, but is pretty low-key. Colin Firth plays against type in the role Coward so obviously designed for himself - and is funny (again, not something one expects from Firth). Jeanne Tripplehorn looks suitably glamorous as the Hollywood star, and Baldwin This does make a few digs at class and snobbery, but it is really a bit of fluffy comedy to pass a pleasant hour.

My first thought when I first watched this movie was of how similar it was to the writing styles of P.G. Wodehouse and the famous English playwright Oscar Wilde. The storyline starts off deceptively simply and slowly builds in complexity until a frenetic climax explodes all over the viewer. It is virtually impossible to try and explain the plot to someone because it simply has too many twists and turns.

This movie is an unusual one for Ms. Tripplehorne in that she plays a glamorous Grace Kelly/Marilyn Monroe-esque movie star instead of her usual supporting actress role. I thought it was a lovely change and she did a stunning job capturing the mannerisms and acting style of the era. The little movie clip of her and "Don Lucas" in the preposterously titled 'A Kiss in the Dark' was so (very bad) Casablanca that I just had to laugh.

The story progressed beautifully with little touches of absurdity in just the right places, such as the poor unfortunate maid walking (read 'running') the dogs across the manor grounds. And because good comedy comes in threes, we see her three times throughout the movie.

But for me, the real winner in this movie is Colin Firth's role as Peter, the ubiquitous nephew-in-residence. His lines are delivered beautifully, but it is his facial expressions, and soft, unspoken mimicry of Miranda Frayle that really clinch it. His smart-aleck remarks are tempered with just enough Britishness to keep them from being outright obnoxious. It's lovely to see him in a role that must have been so much fun.

On the whole, I thought the movie was marvelous. It's full of deliciously sketched characters, masterfully crafted dialogue, very effective camera work, beautiful costumes and props, and of course, ridiculous coincidences that serve to drive the plot towards its inevitable conclusion. A great movie to enjoy yourself and also to recommend to your mother or anyone else with discriminating taste.

This probably isn't one of Noël Coward's better plays for me, but Eric Styles has managed to assemble a solid cast to make this adaptation just about watchable. Edward Atterton (Lord Marshwood) has fallen for Hollywood star "Miranda" (Jeanne Tripplehorn) who is, in turn, on the rebound from a relationship with her on-screen partner "Lucas" (William Baldwin). After their whirlwind romance on the Côte d'Azur they plan to return to his stately pile where his dowager countess mother "Felicity" (Dame Julie Andrews) is waiting to greet them. Now this woman is rather shrewd and egged on by her mischievous nephew "Peter" (Colin Firth) decides to let matters take their course... That plan is rather spiked by a surprise announcement from her long-term confidante "Moxie" (Sophie Thompson) that, coupled with the pursuing "Lucas", creates the template for quite an engaging, if one-dimensional, theatrical farce. Nobody is really challenged here, the plot delivers competent efforts from both cast and screenplay along lines that don't really provide much humour or originality, and that concludes very much as you might expect. It's well photographed (though not very well edited) and Dame Julie brings that certain star quality that we seldom see nowadays. I would probably have left this to the stage where i expect it would have worked better - on the silver screen it falls a bit flat.