- Actors: Kate Beckinsale, Jemma Redgrave, James Fleet, Chloë Sevigny, Emma Greenwell
- Director: Whit Stillman
- Producers: Whit Stillman, Katie Holly
- Format: AC-3, Dolby, Subtitled, Widescreen
- Language: English
- Subtitles: English, Spanish
- Region: Region A/1
- Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Rated: PG
- Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment
- Release Date: September 6, 2016
- Run Time: 93 minutes
Although there
are many elements within the period narrative of Love & Friendship which make it distinctly Jane Austen,
including her biting social commentary on romance among the landed gentry of 18th
century England,
the choice of source material feels particularly aligned with the work of
filmmaker and auteur Whit Stillman. Borrowing name only from one of Austen’s
other works of fiction, Love &
Friendship is actually based on the novella, “Lady Susan.” This was written
prior to the novels she is most famous for, and is far more unsentimental in
its treatment than film fans may be accustomed to. While Austen may be best
known cinematically for her sweeping romance, it is the satirical humor of her
work that Stillman gravitates towards.
Part of what
makes it possible for Stillman to accomplish this is by remaining focused on
the title character, despite changing the title. Lady Susan Vernon (Kate
Beckinsale) is a beautiful young widow and manipulative meddler that you would
expect to see in an Austen novel, though primarily as the antagonist, with a
more sympathetic character as the protagonist. This sympathetic character is
Susan’s daughter, Frederica Vernon (Morfydd Clark), who is driven by emotions
rather than shrewdly calculated advances in social standing. In other words,
Susan is what I imagine Emma would turn out to be without the completion of her
character arc through romance. There is no redemption necessary for Susan,
because Stillman’s focus on humor rather than romance allows us to be amused by
her untrustworthy manipulations.
As one would
expect, a majority of these manipulations involve Susan playing with the hearts
of men. After becoming tripped up in the games she is playing with an eligible
(although not entirely unattached) young bachelor, Lord Manwaring (Jenn
Murray), Susan makes the sudden decision to visit her brother’s family living
in the countryside. Her visit is not entirely welcome, especially by her sister-in-law,
Catherine DeCourcy, whose suspicions about Susan’s motives are quickly
multiplied. This has a great deal to do with Susan’s immediate flirtation with
Catherine’s brother, Reginald (Xavier Samuel), a handsomely wealthy prospect
for the widow.
Susan has her
own competition when her daughter suddenly arrives to join her, stealing away
the attention of Reginald. In response, Susan begins to orchestrate another
suitor for Frederica in the form of the wealthy but silly Sir James Martin (Tom
Bennett). In true fashion of the era, all of these battles are played out with
extreme civility. I can’t imagine Stillman having the tools to adapt any of
Austen’s more romantic tales, but few filmmakers are better suited for this
narrative. The humor remains biting without ever making the characters so unlikable
that they become unpleasant to watch. In some ways, Stillman has captured the
true tone of Austen’s work as few filmmakers ever have.
With a film that
relies so heavily upon dialogue, the importance of casting is more noticeable
than usual. Beckinsale is a whirlwind of precise and controlled energy,
carrying much of the movie save a few scene-stealing moments from the hilarious
Tom Bennett. Beyond these performances, Love
& Friendship is a film with production values that far exceed the
budgetary limitations. There are countless custom-made dresses and gorgeously
fitting locations, fulfilling the quota of period-film eye candy.
The Blu-ray
release puts these assets on high definition display. Unfortunately, there are
few other perks to this upgrade in quality, as the only special feature is a
behind-the-scenes featurette which is just under ten minutes long.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
Special Features: 3.5/10
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