Film Review

Cole Porter was one of the twentieth century's great composers and song-writers. This film starring Kevin Kline as Porter and Ashley Judd as his long-suffering wife tells Porter's story in a unique way.

A film about a song-writer has to be a musical and this is, but with a twist. Contemporary pop artists (Robbie Williams, Mick Hucknall, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costelloto name a few) are inserted into the tale and Kline himslef sings a few of the numbers. The new trend in musicals in film are not simply a harking back to the old days of Hollywood and Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire, there is a mix of both the surreal element of people breaking into song at any given momeny combined with an almost hyperrreal attitude when it comes to story.

Cole Porter lived the closeted life of a gay man in the early part of the twentieth century. The film explores this aspect of his life in depth. His marriage to Thomas, who was apparently aware of her husband's tendencies and inclinations, is presented as the axis around which his life revolves, but he lived dangerously close to the edge of scadnal for much of his life and this ultimately scarred the relationship with Thomas.

The film pulls no punches, and doesn't paint Porter in a particulalry pretty light, it is honest, brutally so. The selfish, and often heartless actions of Porter are juxtaposed against his carefree and lovely music. Kline is brilliant: he is always a great actor and he shines here. The music is fabulous, the scenery perfect, and the story well worth watching.

Like many people, Porter's life ended with much pain and sadness, he was virtually cripppled in a riding accident and this event shaped and coloured his later years. Through it all the songs kept coming and became apart of the cultural psyche. De-lovely is just that, a lovely piece of cinema.