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Aug 09, 2017lukasevansherman rated this title 2.5 out of 5 stars
If you remember the 90s (Well, then you weren't there man! Oh wait, that's the 60s.), you remember that the hottest author for a while was one who'd been dead for over a century and a half. We saw adaptations of "Pride and Prejudice," "Emma" (Three versions!), "Persuasion," "Sense & Sensibility," and "Mansfield Park." She has a small body of work (6 novels), but filmmakers are still finding inspiration from her work. Whit Stillman's generically titled "Love & Friendship" is an adaptation of a short early novel called "Lady Susan," which was published posthumously. Stillman's films are all comedies of manners ("Metropolitan," "Barcelona"), so it's unsurprising that he'd be drawn to Austen. I love Austen, but I rarely love her movies, which too often miss the sharp, satiric tone of her work. "Love & Friendship" is a typical Austen adaptation in that it's pretty, well-acted, and a little dull. Kate Beckinsale as Lady Susan gives one her most robust, funniest performances in years and is the best thing about the film. Chloe Sevigny co-stars and this is a reunion of sorts, as the two actors co-starred in Stillman's best film, "The Last Days of Disco." Enjoyable enough and much better than his tone deaf and excruciating previous film "Damsels in Distress."