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liscarkat's Replies
Maybe a little. But if Collins had done it (when she was the appropriate age), I'd have been able to understand every word she said. A lost art among today's actors (and sound editors).
Can't complain.
For me, the best part of the movie was the costumes and settings. However, the unusual device of quickly inserting characters by captioned portraits, rather than as part of plot development, coupled with fast talking and stage whispering, did not result in a very coherent film. There were also a couple of examples of very flat, nearly amateurish acting, and at least one instance of cringe-inducing overacting. While having some merit, this is ultimately a far less than perfect movie.
So, if I showed up in my blue jeans and t-shirt they wouldn't receive me?
Twelve commandments. Now that would be some religion! Sort of like Nigel's amp, that goes up to eleven.
If you haven't yet read Austen's original epistolary story, get it. In it, Lady Susan's even more astonishing. It's only about seventy pages; you can knock it off in an afternoon. Austen, who was some kind of genius, wrote it when she was only seventeen.
I thought Beckinsale did a good job as Lady Susan, but she seemed always to speak in a loud whisper, which sometimes made it difficult to understand what she was saying. I had my hearing tested within the past year and I have no problems.
The 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.
That scene was amusing, but was not in Austen's book.
That's the point. She's a selfish, narcissistic, manipulative coquette.
Yes, the technique of of showing a portrait of each character with his or her name was used at the beginning, rather than the usual plot development and methods of introducing characters and allowing the viewer to get to know them. That, coupled with a lot of fast talking and stage whispering resulted in a film that was at times difficult to follow.
No. The movie has some merit; however, the script is poorly constructed, and a small number of pretty good performances are surrounded by a lot of overacting and flat, nearly amateurish acting. This was not top-drawer filmed Austen. The epistolary short novel upon which it was based, "Lady Susan", is much more fun to read than this movie is to watch.
Not appreciating a film is a perfectly valid reaction. There's no obligation to like it, and no reason not to say so if you didn't. It's funny when people on message boards get offended and cranky when another poster doesn't like a movie they liked.
I had the same thought--I wouldn't want to be around these people. Making a joke out of the dying father's voice, for God's sake. What a bunch of shallow A-holes.
I took the time to watch all of it and I agree with the original poster. Cringe-worthy improv; shallow, whiny characters.
I didn't hate it, but I didn't find any of the characters funny, interesting, or likable. The only time I laughed was when the stoner chick told the skinny chick that it took nine years for her to make her doodle book.
This is an unappealing group of people with little or no talent. They are wannabes living a delusion.
People were paying five bucks a ticket for this crap. Not worth it. The appeal of improv is a mystery.
They are immediately resentful, treat him like crap, and start nagging him to get them jobs. They treat the stoner chick the same way when she gets hired as a writer. They seem to think that opportunities should be turned down in favor of staying in their pitiful little amateurish show forever. They act like spoiled children. Truly an unappealing group of people.
Rebecca.