De-Lovely (2004)

after the movie finished a young man with a foreign accent sitting near me asked me the following question."did some-one like him really exist and did he write all those words and the music as well." I was able to tell him a few more things about the legendary man and his music because as an amateur jazz pianist I have always envied the wonderful literacy and the every lasting notes that Cole Porter put together. Would I only be able to do the same and perpetuate those royalties that have accumulated over so many years. I don't care what he was as a person but Cole Porter was pure genius and having tried to get songs published for the last 45 years I know how hard it is to get even a single break through. Why he hardly ever stopped using his great talent and has delighted so many with his wit, warmth and wisdom. As he says in "high society" "who wants to be a millionaire". He did and he has enhanced the lives of millions of listeners, laymen and lovers through-out the world including my new young friend who had never heard of Cole Porter!

Fmovies: Even if De-Lovely is not historically correct, Kevin Kline's performance is outstanding. The music keeps your feet tapping during the entire film. This is a movie that despite Cole Porter's complex and tragic life, leaves you feeling good. Jonathan Price, as always, gives a terrific performance as Gabe. The idea of "having your life flash in front of your eyes before you die" is carried out seamlessly and even Ashley Judd, though miscast as Linda Lee, who was actually 8-12 years Porter's senior, is a delight. A special mention to the make-up artists, who do a fabulous job in aging the characters over several decades. I will see it probably a few more times....(the CD is also enjoyable. Who can go wrong with Cole Porter tunes?)

This film looks well and has several performances, both dramatic and musical, that are worthy of note. Of the latter in fact Elvis Costello and Natalie Cole in particular came off very well. My biggest beef, however, was with Sheryl Crow's performance of "Begin the Beguine." I haven't heard or read it commented upon so apparently it wasn't noticed that she didn't sing the melody nor did the arrangement follow the fairly complex chord structure that Cole Porter wrote. Taking liberties in jazz is one thing. It's common practice among jazz musicians to take interpretative flights far from the source material and yet still stay fairly close to the general structure and melodic line. In this travesty of a straight, non-jazz performance Ms. Crow quite simply didn't sing the tune as written and the arrangement fairly clobbered the carefully structured co-relation of major and minor chords, altered notes leading to secondary dominants and shifts of key and melody that lead to the tune's climax and denouement. I suppose it's some sort of comment on the general unfamiliarity with popular song of the golden age of Broadway in general and Cole Porter in particular that is to blame but it seems a pity that someone somewhere along the line didn't call her on this. It's plainly and flatly wrong and she should have been told.

De-Lovely fmovies. Being a heterosexual male under the age of 70, I normally don't like musicals, but I like to keep an open mind. Typically, I will only see a musical if either the movie would be just as good without the music (e.g. "My Fair Lady", "Fiddler on the Roof", "O Brother Where Art Thou", all Marx Bros films), or the music is so good that I don't care about things like acting or plot (e.g. "On the Town", "An American in Paris", "Pal Joey", all Beatles films). Of course, since I have several older female friends and relatives, I've seen quite a few musicals where both the movie and the music are just awful (e.g. "Rose Marie", "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers", "Chicago", all Andrew Lloyd Weber films).

But "De-Lovely" is the first musical I have seen where both the music and the film-making are so good as to be great. Of course, it doesn't hurt that all the songs are written by Cole Porter, Broadway's finest composer and the subject of the movie. Although the plays and movies he composed for have mostly been forgotten, the songs from them remain immortal in the hearts of true music-lovers of all ages.

And as far as the movie's concerned, it's near perfect. It gives a sly wink to the conventions of the typical movie musical (i.e. never start or end with a ballad; the hero is more articulate when singing than when speaking), but it does not give short shrift to things like plot, acting and emotional resonance. We are treated to tremendous performances by Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd in the lead roles, and sparkling dialog by Jay Cocks. The cinematography is lush and frankly astounding. And the make-up people did a tremendous job. Only when we see Porter at 90 do we think anyone has dyed their hair or is wearing prosthetics.

The premise of the film has put some people off: Cole Porter (Kline) is sitting at his piano at home, preparing to die, when an omniscient director (Jonathan Pryce) tells him he needs to get ready for the show. The show, of course, is the story of Porter's life, strewn with Porter's songs throughout, sometimes done by the characters in the film as part of their dialog, and sometimes done by professional singers as straight performances.

Porter himself, watching the show, complains that this device is too avant-garde for his taste.

Actually, the previous paragraph is not quite right. The show is not about Porter's entire life, only the parts having to do with his wife Linda (Judd). What we see is not the story of a great composer's professional ups and downs. We get some of that, but that is secondary to the story of a gay man who loves his wife as much as he can, and a woman who stays faithful to her husband despite knowing that he prefers having sex with anonymous men than with her.

For literal-minded people, there will be some problems. The real Cole Porter was short, ugly and couldn't sing; whereas Kevin Kline is tall, reasonably good-looking, and a fine singer. Also, although there is no doubt that Porter is having affairs with men, we never see much more than a few lustful glances. And they cut out the more risqué verses of Porter's songs. We do not hear "Roosters with a doodle & a cock do it" (from "Let's Do It") or "I get no kick from cocaine" (from "I Get a Kick Out of You"). And perhaps Elvis Costello and Alanis Morisette don't have the best voices to sing these so

As I think of the many dimensions documentaries have taken recently, from the ersatz 'Fahrenheit' to the authentic 'Metallica,' I am pleased to report the biopic remains whole, with Irwin Winkler's ('Life as a House') 'De-Lovely,' the life in song about Cole Porter and his wife, Linda.

I say 'in song' because barely a moment in not accompanied by Porter's music so recognizable I can cite 'Night and Day,' 'In the Still of the Night,' 'Anything Goes,' 'Let's Misbehave,' and 'True Love' without research help or the least provocation. Kevin Kline plays Porter with 1920's tuxedoed charm embracing the true love of his life, Linda, and the many men who helped him fulfill his need to love everything. Kline's refusal to lip-synch or take singing lessons effectively evokes the voice-challenged Porter and the passionate melancholy of a composer who lived for love.

The difference between this version and the 1946 Cary Grant 'Night and Day' is in the hidden homosexuality of the latter and the overt acceptance in the former. Winkler recreates the moment when Linda acknowledges, accepts, and romanticizes Porter's alternative life. About men she affirms, 'You like them more than I do. Nothing is cruel if it fulfills your promise.' This is fine writing by Jay Cocks ('Age of Innocence') and is her love expressed on a plane only Plato could fully appreciate.

Thus Linda defines a story about love as music, a story attempted in 'Evita' and 'Frida' but never so well expressed as in 'De-Lovely.' Although 'Frida' parallels Frida Kahlo's artful life in her paintings, 'De-Lovely' so arranges Porter's music as to suggest each piece was written for that moment in his life. Judd's portrayal relies on her porcelain beauty, wry smile, and serene wisdom in the service of an unconditional love that cost Linda in embarrassment, extorted money, and time away from Porter.

Songs interpreted by Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, and Diana Krall, among others, bring the film into the present with the 'timeless' effect without compromising flawless period depiction of the Jazz Age and Tin Pan Alley. In the end this biopic helped me understand the rewarding and demanding life of Cole Porter, gave me over two hours of glorious song and dance, and made me see again the allure of true love that transcends sex and ego. 'De-Lovely' is 'music from a farther room,' as Eliot's Prufrock would have heard it.

I am so touched by the beautiful film we have just seen that I'm almost too overwhelmed to talk about it.

The movie is 'De-Lovely' about the life of Cole Porter, his music and, most of all, about an amazing, unlikely and wonderful love. I don't know how much is true and how much is given to poetic license, but I don't care and I don't especially want to know. I just want to hang on to the heartfelt experience.

I was not alone in my reaction to 'De-Lovely.' In addition to the spontaneous applause at the end of the screening, an astonishing number of people in the audience were still in their seats, savoring the impact, when the last of the credits rolled. 'De-Lovely' is such an integrated masterpiece of movie-making that I will only reluctantly move on to crediting the pieces that contribute to the whole.

Kevin Klein delivers a superb performance playing Cole Porter from middle age into his advanced years. Ashley Judd provides an equally compelling performance as Linda Lee, the woman whom Cole meets and marries early in the film. The story starts in 1920's Paris and includes scenes in Venice prior to Cole and Linda moving on to NYC and the "Great White Way," Hollywood, and finally, Massachusetts.

The sets and costumes, together with direction by Irwin Winkler, transport the audience flawlessly to the time and places of Cole and Linda's experiences. (It was interesting to note that this movie was shot in England and Italy; apparently none of it was filmed in the U.S.A. at all!) 'De-Lovely' also achieves its spectacular success by way of the strong script from Jay Cocks. And, of course, there is the wonderful music of Cole Porter, sung by amateurs Kline and Judd, as well as an impressive, multi-talented array of young musical artists.

You could elect to see this film in order to learn more about the life of Cole Porter. You could go in order to enjoy the songs and show presentations of Cole's music. You could also go to experience the time and places in Cole's life. However, the best reason to go is because this is a wonderful if improbable love story. The story of love evolving and maturing as it is nurtured by Linda's full knowledge and acceptance of Cole's homosexual or bisexual proclivities. Yet, Cole says of his many love songs that they have always been for Linda and we never doubt that it is true. In the end, after their relationship and love has been tested by terrible adversity, they are still there for each other with an ever-deepening love and tenderness.

Rated A+, see 'De-Lovely' for the story of Cole Porter, for travel to a different time and to different places, for the music and mostly to experience the love story. In my opinion, the movie is decidedly de-lovely!