Easy Virtue
Posted on | March 19, 2009 | No Comments
In sfarsit, o comedie buna! Cam asta a fost concluzia dupa vizionarea filmului Easy Virtue, avandu-i in rol principal pe Jessica Biel, Colin Firth si Kristin Scott Thomas. M-am bucurat asa mult ca am ras si eu pe indelete si nu fortat la cinema, ca m-am repezit imediat sa scriu despre asta.
Actiunea este plasata in anii 20, dupa Primul Razboi Mondial (sau Marele Razboi), cand un tanar englez de “vita nobila”, John Whittaker, se intorce acasa insurat cu o americanca superba, dar total “necorespunzatoare” asteptarilor familiei sale. Interpretata fara gres de Jessica Biel (care imi pare ca promite din ce in ce mai mult), Larita Whittaker este frumoasa, desteapta, amuzanta, plina de farmec si cu neobisnuita meserie de “sofer de curse”. Veronica Whittaker, proaspata soacra, are un “cui” impotriva americanilor, cu atat mai mult cu cat acestia sunt de sex feminin, vopsiti blond si legati pe viata de unicul ei fiu. Astfel, de la prima intalnire si prima replica “Oh, you’re American”, se intelege ca relatia dintre cele doua nu va fi una prea relaxata.
In scena apare si tatal lui John, Jim, care, dupa ce s-a intors mai mult sau mai putin de buna voie acasa dupa Razboi, este complet detasat de viata sa de familie si de “drama” pe care sotia sa o traieste din cauza noii intruse. In mod interesant, este singurul care reuseste sa o inteleaga si sa se apropie de Larita. Surorile lui John, desi initial o admira pe Larita, devin furioase pe succesul in societate si naturaletea acesteia si refuza sa o accepte.
Chiar si John, sotul tanar si naiv, desi indragostit nebuneste de Larita, este prea timorat de propria mama si prea nestiutor pentru a-si spune punctul de vedere, cu atat mai putin pentru a-si apara sotia. Cum la intoarcerea acasa se intalneste cu cea care ar fi trebuit sa-i fie nevasta “de convenienta” si cu care s-a inteles intotdeauna bine, cam uita care ii este rolul ca nou cap de familie, domn si toate cele. Nu intelege de ce Larita doreste sa se mute intr-o casa “numai a lor”, de ce o deranjeaza vanatoarea de vulpi si cum de nu reuseste sa se inteleaga cu mama sa.
Desi nu este o comedie in sine, dat fiind ca ca pana la urma situatia efectiva este mai mult decat dramatica, filmul ofera cateva portii zdravene de ras in special in momentele in care Colin Firth, cu un umor englezesc impecabil scoate in evidenta absurdul si ironia scenei.
De remarcat si Kris Marshall, in rolul valetului “atotstiutor” Furber pe care il veti recunoaste probabil din Love Actually, unde joaca rolul englezului plecat pe taramuri americane pentru a cuceri domnisoarele de acolo cu accentul sau british irezistibil.
Per total, o comedie de moravuri, un film tragi-comic, un sfarsit neasteptat si cu totul “proaspat”. Recomand cu caldura, mi-era dor de un film atat de bun!
P.S. Poppy! Poppy!
Articol scris pentru www.filmblog.ro.
At last, a decent comedy! That’s what I thought after watching this movie. After all, not ‘decent’, but oh so great! You see, I love Colin Firth and Kristin Scott Thomas since The English Patient, used to watch 7th Heaven when I was a little girl so I don’t mind Jessica Biel either (who, by the way, has become quite a great actress herself) and have a great passion for movies about the period between the two World Wars. And Easy Virtue was everything I needed.
Young, immature John Whittaker falls in love with attractive, slightly older than him Larita, an American woman that ‘works’ as a professional race driver. With blonde hair, impeccable clothes and a smile to die for, she makes him fall madly in love and they get married immediately. Much to his mother’s rage. Veronica Whittaker is a cold, aristocratic woman, struggling to keep together her family, in spite of her husband, Jim, who only reluctantly came back home from war, and her two daughters, one hopelessly in love with a man who has forgotten her and one too young and immature to be able to marry “well”.
When John comes with the “great” news, Veronica knows she needs to get rid of “the American”. And so, although Larita tries hard to make a good impression, her chances of fitting in are quite tiny. As bad as we may feel for her, she manages to make us laugh all the way, with great lines and even greater performance. She won’t be part of a fox hunt, she will seduce her husband in his parent’s home (and elsewhere, too), she will cook Thanksgiving dinner and bring a nude portrait of herself into the house.
Her only ally in the house is, not as expected, her husband, but her father in law, who seems not to fit either. Although John’s sister admire her at first, they get jealous of her good looks and charm and start supporting their mother against her. A new appearance is that of Sarah Hurst, John’s old friend and the match his mother would’ve wanted him to make. He then loses any interest of being ‘man of the house’ and defending his wife against Veronica’s venom and comes to lose Larita’s respect and love.
All in all, this is a wonderful comedy, smart, witty, with amazing characters and amazing actors. Even the butler, Furber, has some great funny lines (you may recognize Kris Marshall from Love Actually) and Kristin Scott Thomas is also lovable, even though Veronica is not.
I highly recommend this movie to just about anyone who wants a good, British laugh. It’s well worth it!
Check out the DVD in the widget on the right that will take you to amazon.co.uk
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