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De-Lovely
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De-Lovely, Directed by Irwin Winkler; Starring Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd; An MGM Release
As the curtain opens, we see a younger Porter playing piano. "Oh, my God, that's me", says the older Cole when he sees his younger self. A few moments later, a number of characters join the stage, and Porter recognizes them all. We see, then, that this is no ordinary production. Porter is seeing his life go by before his eyes - the fact that the "actors" in the play cannot hear him (they can hear Pryce, though) is a clear indication of that. We are then taken to 1920s Paris, where we see Cole Porter merrily playing the piano and livening up a dull party while catching the attention of the Linda Lee Thomas (Ashley Judd, in a subtle performance that pairs well with Kline's flamboyancy), a rich divorcé who is instantly taken to Porter's charms. Shortly into their blossoming relationship, Cole comes out to her, telling her, in a very indirect way, that though he has some interest in her, he also enjoys the company of people of his own gender (shortly before that scene, we see Porter riding through the woods and into the arms of a tall blond man). Linda smiles and says, "darling, that just means that you like men more than I do."
Through a friendship with Irving Berlin (who he meets in Venice), Porter is appointed to write the songs for a Broadway show entitled Paris. He hesitates at first, but pushed by Linda, they leave Venice's gay nights and move to New York. The musical is a smash hit. We see the rehearsals and the show itself through Alanis Morissette's on-the-money rendition of Let's Do It, Let's Fall In Love. Shortly into the opening, Linda gives him a cigarette case with the show's logo - a tradition that would follow through all his shows. Porter's lassez-faire lifestyle soon catches up with him, and after he misses an after-party for a romantic rendezvous with a young cast member of The Gay Divorceé(the come-on happens when he helps the young actor perform Night And Day, which gives the tune a whole new meaning), Linda begins to realize that she would not be able to live that way. The story then moves on to their life in Hollywood. Linda's health begins to deteriorate, and after a brief retreat to Arizona, she returns to see her husband less discrete about his orientation as ever. She leaves him, and returns after a tragic horseback accident leaves him almost paralyzed. The story moves on into the years, and includes Porter's comeback with the success of Kiss Me Kate ("everyone thought I was finished", the older Cole says when he views that part), Linda's death after a long struggle against tuberculosis and finally Porter's final, lonely moments, which could have looked sadder had it not been for its sweet, poetic ending.
Kevin Kline portrays Cole Porter beautifully, and if it weren't a summer release, I would dare to say that his performance is Oscar-worthy. In one of the film's saddest moments, we feel Porter's pain as his wife lays dying while he shows her a Linda Porter rose, a hybrid that he says was made from "two incompatible species of flowers." The scene was so intense that I could hear a few muffled sobs around me as I watched the film at a Midtown Manhattan theater. De- Lovely is a surprising film for this day and age of computer-made scenarios and special effects. If there are any of those, they were unnoticed. The make-up was very convincing, and Kline, an incredibly gifted actor, has his voice go huskier and huskier as his character ages. The straightforward was in which Porter's lifestyle is portrayed is impressive for a major production. This is surely an option for those who are tired of the brainless summer blockbusters that take over the multiplexes every year, and just the intelligence of the script added to the wonderful music of Cole Porter is enough reason to check this one out. |
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Kevin Kline stars as Cole Porter in De-Lovely
Love For Sale sung by Vivian Green in De-Lovely
Elivs Costello sings
Let’s Misbehave in De-Lovely