LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP
Based on a short novel by English author Jane Austin, this delightful comedy of manners is set in England in the late 18th Century, during a time when pretentiousness and snobbery were prevalent in high class society.
Kate Beckinsale is perfectly cast as Lady Susan, a self-indulgent and accomplished flirt who survives on the hospitality of others and expects a life of extravagance since becoming a widow without fortune. She uses cunning and manipulative tactics to draw the attention of Reginald De Courcy (Xavier Samuel) and in the process finds affluent husbands for herself and her troubled daughter.
Elegant and beautifully filmed, this comedy is written with sharp wit and most of the humour derives from Lady Susan’s ‘encouragement of gentlemen’ and storylines beset with romantic entanglements, unwelcomed courtships and marriage proposals.
This charming film which also ridicules romantic sensibility has limited appeal, notably with older audiences, who should appreciate the style of comedy which may elude younger audiences. (MMo)
★★★1/2
