Billed as a rip-roaring comedy, it merely has a lot of chuckles. Too much is unclear about the plot. It's hard to stay awake. I love most PBS
costume drama's, including Jane Austen stories, but not this one.
I'm sorry you didn't like it. I've loved Austen for more than 45 years and I thought the movie was hilarious. I plan to buy it when it comes out on blu-ray.
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I agree! I usually love a good period film but this was just not that entertaining, boring, not especially funny, just quite dull really.
shareWhat did you find unclear about the plot? Perhaps one of us can help.
shareThe plot was relatively simple. However, in the film it was not presented in a manner that was easy to follow. Instead of characters being introduced in the manner they typically are in films, so that the viewer has a chance to get to know them a bit, the device of showing quick portraits of each with his or her name written on-screen was used as a sort of shorthand. At the beginning, the action was joined in progress as Lady Susan was leaving the house where she had previously been staying, with no explanation whatever. Then multiple characters are suddenly entering and exiting, mainly unfamiliar actors, and the viewer is expected to have instantly memorized who they all are from the vignettes that were shown earlier. Add to this the fast talking and Beckinisale's continuous stage whisper, and the result was a movie that was a bit of a chore to keep sorted. Having read the book beforehand was a great help.
shareCompletely agree. I love costume dramas and I generally enjoy Whit Stillman's movies, but this one was unbearably slow and hard to follow. For the record, I don't want to have a film's plot clarified for me after I watched it. I want to be able to follow the story as I'm watching, and this film just lost me 15 minutes in.
shareYou had to commit to understanding all the dialogue and relations of all the characters, which required more focus and work than many viewers are accustomed to -- subtitles were a necessity for me to catch all the hidden meanings and barbs. It is not a movie to watch when you are only half-focused.
shareYou had to commit to understanding all the dialogue and relations of all the characters, which required more focus and work than many viewers are accustomed to -- subtitles were a necessity for me to catch all the hidden meanings and barbs. It is not a movie to watch when you are only half-focused.
If you say you like WS I'm surprised you dislike this or even find it boring. He's made films where less happens and this is surely a return to form for him especially after Damsels in Distress..
Anyway I don't know much about period dramas but I found this one refreshingly charming and funny. Also great, smart dialogues.