Easy Virtue (2008)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Stephan Elliott

Writers:

Stephan Elliott (written by) &
Sheridan Jobbins (written by) ...

Release Date:

7 November 2008 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Let's Misbehave!

Plot:

A young Englishman marries a glamorous American. When he brings her home to meet the parents, she arrives like a blast from the future - blowing their entrenched British stuffiness out the window.

Plot Keywords:

Tango | Marriage | 1920s | Screwball | Scandal

Awards:

1 win & 3 nominations

Cast

Jessica Biel	...	Larita Whittaker
Ben Barnes	...	John Whittaker
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Mrs. Whittaker
Colin Firth	...	Mr. Whittaker
Kimberley Nixon	...	Hilda Whittaker
Katherine Parkinson	...	Marion Whittaker
Kris Marshall	...	Furber
Christian Brassington	...	Phillip Hurst
Charlotte Riley	...	Sarah Hurst
Jim McManus	...	Jackson
Pip Torrens	...	Lord Hurst
Jeremy Hooton	...	Davis
Joanna Bacon	...	Cook
Maggie Hickey	...	Millie the Maid
John Warburton	...	Mr. Gribble

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief partial nudity, and smoking throughout.

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK | Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:12A | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Netherlands:AL | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | France:U | South Korea:15

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

During the end credits all of the musicians who played in the orchestra featured on the soundtrack are introduced in voice-over simulating the introductions from the bandstand of a live performance, with each musician playing a brief sample.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Larita first sees John after the race in Monte Carlo the mechanic in the bottom right of the shot takes his hat off and waves it in the air. A second or so later when she looks back at John, the same mechanic takes his hat off and waves it again indicating the shot was duplicated.

Quotes:

Mrs. Whittaker: Smile, Marion.
Marion Whittaker: I don't feel like smiling.

Movie Connections:

Version of Easy Virtue (1928)

Soundtrack:

When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going

Brilliant from start to finish

From the flamboyant director of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, this sublime adaptation of Noel Coward's tragic-comic play zings with dazzling wit and impeccable timing delivered by acting of the highest order. Who knew Jessica Biel could be so delicious as the American interloping fallen woman? Among the British stars, Colin Firth provides the counterpoint gravitas as a WWI surviving member of the "lost generation" who turns the tables on his insufferable wife (Kristin Scott Thomas) and besotted son. Easily one of the most entertaining movies of the past several years, it deserved the genuine spontaneous standing ovation at the world premiere screening I attended at the Toronto film festival. Scott Thomas is devastating in a totally different French-speaking role in "I've loved you for so long", for which she deserves an Oscar nomination. But see this for arch Brit humor at its finest.