Easy Virtue

Delightful! There is a word you don't hear me use too often but it succinctly sums up how I feel about Stephen Elliott's film adaptation of Noel Coward's play. From top to bottom this film delivers, amazing acting, stunning script and an ending for the ages. For Jessica Biel to hold her own against the likes of Kristen Scott Thomas is amazing enough but for both to utterly excel in their roles is nothing short if incredible. I've never been a fan of Colin Firth, not a personal thing but an issue with the characters he plays (I've not yet seen A SINGLE MAN which I hear is great) but he is perfectly suited to the skin of Mr. Whittaker and for my money this is his greatest work to date. Alas, the same can be said for all involved as the casting is impeccable right down to Kris Marshall as the butler Furber. Alongside all of this acting talent and and blessed script is Elliott's directing style. We've seen it before in EYE OF THE BEHOLDER and THE ADVANTURES OF PRISCILLA, QUEEN OF THE DESERT but in EASY VIRTUE is raises the bar. There is one scene in particular involving a record and a turntable which is right up there with the shower scene in PSYCHO and it these little things combined with solid basics that makes EASY VIRTUE so special. Again delightful and I do wish we'd see more films like this hitting the silver screen.