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 De-Lovely
(2004)
Director:
Irwin Winkler
Stars: Kevin Kline, Ashley Judd
Release Company:
United Artists
MPAA Rating: PG-13
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Evening with Cole Porter
Art Print
Cann, Nicholas
Buy at AllPosters.com
 
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The world has gone mad today
And good's bad today
And black's white today
And day's night today
When most guys today that women prize today
Are just silly gigolos
So though I'm not a great romancer
I know that you're bound to answer
When I propose, anything goes.
For many modern moviegoers, Cole Porter's magnificent music either invokes images from Woody Allen movies or sparks memories of classic cartoons that often incorporate his tunes. Of course Porter's songs have so permeated musical culture that they will sound familiar to virtually everyone, yet over the years his life has remained foggier than a San Francisco morning. Old biopics like Night and Day certainly ignore Porter's life of ambiguity, in which he vacillated between Europe and America, between Broadway and Hollywood, and between men and women for sexual liaisons. But with more tolerant current standards in place, Porter's "forbidden love" can be expressed far more openly in Irwin Winkler's 2004 De-Lovely (although its PG-13 rating ascertains a sanitized treatment).
Kevin Kline plays Porter in this musical biopic that ties in all its plot elements with Porter tunes that prove to be the highlight of the film. Framed with Kline in old age makeup, his character remarks, "If I can survive this movie, I can survive anything." That means that Cole Porter survives Winkler's rendition well enough despite its contrived theatrical structure and a screenplay that holds its stars at arm's length—the music continues to carry the day. With its economical dialogue, De-Lovely's musical content is only surpassed percentage-wise by The Umbrellas of Cherbourg, making the film far more tuneful than traditional Broadway musicals. An inexhaustible outpouring of songs flows from Porter throughout, often seemingly at the spur of the moment to give credence to his legendary genius.
Crippled his last 27 years from a horseback accident Porter here is at the end of his life, viewing a surreal theatrical rehearsal of biographical flashbacks with producer (Jonathan Pryce) guiding the play. The actors cannot see the old songwriter, providing a devise that allows the screenplay to flip back and forth in time and place to give an overview of Porter's enigmatic life. Ashley Judd plays the key relationship of his life, Linda Lee, who presumably is the subject of Porter's numerous love songs. Yet, the film establishes their true ambiguous nature by exploring Porter's "other interests"—his free spirited ("Anything Goes") pursuit of homosexual love affairs. As Porter explains, "I wanted every kind of love that was available, but I could never find them in the same person or the same sex." Thus, all of Porter's lyrics receive additional nuances. Consider the following verses from "What is This Thing Called Love" and "Just One of Those Things" for example:
What is this thing called love?
This funny thing called love?
Just who can solve its mystery?
Why should it make a fool of me?
It was just one of those nights
Just one of those fabulous flights
A trip to the moon on gossamer wings
Just one of those things
Modern day Renaissance man Kline matches the sophisticated but aloof tone of Jay Cocks' script very well. His ability to play the piano makes his casting especially believable, and his thin nasal quality is easily explained since songwriters never need to possess pipes like Frank Sinatra or Ella Fitzgerald. Besides, the soundtrack employs professional singing from Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, Alanis Morissette, Natalie Cole and others to balance Kline's efforts. The major weakness of the film rests more with the lack of intimate depth in the screenplay than with Kline's performance. Despite plowing previously repressed territory, the script only hints at the depth of his love for his wife and we're never let into more than stereotypical parting scenes with his male lovers.
Ashley Judd gets to display more layers from her role as the accepting but often compromised lover, and she performs admirably. With Porter's carefree and wealthy lifestyle that supported long sojourns in Paris and Venice, Linda Lee makes a perfect match—a delicate balancing act between devotion and detachment. She obviously desires a committed relationship with Porter, yet accepts him as he is, realizing that he must satisfy other interests. The one time they talk more openly, she acknowledges that Porter likes men more than she does, yet "nothing is cruel if it fulfills your promise."
De-Lovely outlines a relationship that may one day get a fuller treatment, but for now Winkler's biopic will need to suffice. After all, most film depictions of such marriages degenerate into family dysfunction with the husband eventually abandoning his wife. Running a bit longer than necessary at 125 minutes and falling short of fleshing out its main character completely, the film soars through Porter's ingenious lyrics and melodies. And the power of the music alone is enough to make this film worth viewing.
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