Delayed Reaction: Love & Friendship

The Pitch: Jane Austen by way of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Whit Stillman is smarter than me. That's just a fact that I accept. After enjoying but being befuddled by Damsels in Distress and now Love & Friendship, I know that so much of what he is doing is going to breeze right over my head unless I rewatch and come prepared.

Love & Friendship is a lot of fun. All the actors are having a great time taking the stuffiness out of the Victorian trappings. They talk quickly and cleverly, moving from one witty jab to the next before any can be fully appreciated. Kate Beckinsale, Chloe Sevigny, Emma Greenwell, and all the other actors who I don't know the names of fit perfectly in the setting. I liked this film, but I really do need to see it again to pick apart what I liked about it. Stillman has a mastery of language and dialogue that it downright intimidating. So much of it blew right by me. By the time it ended, it took me by surprise how much time had passed and story was covered. I feel dumb now, in a good way.

Verdict (?): Weakly Recommend