...if I didn't already enjoy the composer's music, this movie would never have swayed to like it.
De-Lovely (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:151
Fresh:74
Rotten:77
Average Rating:5.7/10
Consensus: Musical numbers save movie from cliches.
Runtime: 2 hrs 5 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Directed by Irwin Winkler, DE-LOVELY depicts the life of the great American composer Cole Porter (Kevin Kline). Despite his sexual preference for men, Porter found inspiration and virtually... Directed by Irwin Winkler, DE-LOVELY depicts the life of the great American composer Cole Porter (Kevin Kline). Despite his sexual preference for men, Porter found inspiration and virtually unconditional love with Linda Lee (Ashley Judd). Told in flashback as Porter is near death, the film follows the Porters' fabulous, unconventional relationship from their meeting in Paris to their subsequent moves to Venice, New York, Hollywood, and Williamstown, as well as the many stops along the way. Kline perfectly captures the Porters' zest for life and seemingly inexhaustible need for love. Classic tunes such as "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love," "Let's Misbehave," and "Anything Goes" take on whole new meanings when considered in the context of Porter and Lee's life together. Contemporary musical performers, including Alanis Morissette, Natalie Cole, Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello, and Sheryl Crow, appear in the film singing Porter standards, a device that works surprisingly well. Judd holds her own as the devoted Linda, who gives her love to Porter and supports his musical ambitions while trying to overlook his homosexual affairs. Historians may debate the details of the Porters' relationship, but one thing is clear: DE-LOVELY dazzles with great music, period costumes, and fine performances. [More]
Starring: Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce, Keith Allen
Starring: Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd, Jonathan Pryce, Keith Allen, Natalie Cole, Angie Hill
Director: Irwin Winkler
Director: Irwin Winkler
Screenwriter: Jay Cocks
Producer: Irwin Winkler, Rob Cowan, Charles Winkler
Composer: Cole Porter
Studio: MGM/UA
Reviews for De-Lovely
Kline and Judd are both good, but Cole Porter seems to have more sophistication than depth.
The movie does offer insight into a man whose lyrics now are underscored with the deeper, hidden rhythms of truth.
The least you can expect from a film celebrating a witty and stylish personality like Cole Porter is to be witty and stylish. But, alas, De-Lovely is neither.
De-Lovely's pedestrian aesthetic choices and conventional point of view sit awkwardly within its semi-experimental framework.
De-Lovely is a film I can imagine the Porters enjoying, and also one that might occasionally make them uncomfortable. It isn't great cinema, but it's deft popular art.
The only way to kill Cole Porter is to mess with his music. And that’s exactly what Producer/Director Irwin Winkler does in De-Lovely.
De-Lovely features a first-rate performance that ought to earn Kevin Kline an Oscar nomination.
Is De-Lovely a failure? In many ways, yes. But it's the kind of failure I'd rather see than I would many more successful films.
De-Lovely is missing the passion and brio it needs to function on a level that best befits its iconic subject -- clever, witty and seemingly effortless in its creation.
Both fans and non-fans will appreciate Porter's tunes. But the real story of his marriage has yet to be told.
Winkler's musical valentine to Cole Porter and his genius sets just the right tone, a harmonious blend of intelligence and sentiment, intensified by a song score to sigh for and the best film performance of Kevin Kline's estimable career.
The results ... are staid, with re-creations of Paris in the Jazz Age and Hollywood in its Golden Age that are like waxworks in motion.
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