From MGM
Directed by Irwin Winkler
Starring
Kevin Kline
Ashley Judd
Jonathan Pryce
Kevin McNally
Sally Nelson
Allan Corduner
Keith Allen
Richard Dillane
John Barrowman
Having just watched this again, I find myself wondering why I didn't include it in my 50 Favorite Films... I like it that much. I recall seeing it three or four times in the theater because I encouraged others to see it and ended up attending with them.
De-Lovely is the story of the life of one of America's most popular and prolific songwriters, Cole Porter. It features his gorgeous songs, around 30 of them, but it is also about his complicated life and the woman he loved and married.
What makes his marriage so interesting is that both of them were gay. They were not bisexual but rather gay people who were married to the opposite sex. It has long been said that their marriage was chaste but they were extremely close. The film amply describes his gay life and not particularly hers. He tells her at one point that he wanted every kind of love that was available but knew that he could never find it with one person or one sex. Those last two words were not really true and he stumbled as he tried to explain things to her. She says are you talking about men? Let's just say you like them more than I do.
She was Linda Lee Thomas, a rich Kentucky socialite who was just divorcing her abusive husband as she meets Porter. He was as wealthy as she was. These were people who enjoyed their money and all the luxury and extravagance it provided. They threw fabulous parties, lived in and visited often various European playgrounds and knew all the exciting people including Hemingway, Fitzgerald, Coward, Irving Berlin and fellow wealthy jetsetters and best friends, Gerald and Sarah Murphy. Cole was also a close friend of bombastic gay character actor, Monty Woolley. The first three do not appear in the film but the others have large roles. Cole's greatest success came after he married. He counted on Linda to put her seal of approval on all his work.
One thing I always greatly appreciated about this film was how the story is framed. It is highly imaginative and perhaps the film could be called a fantasy biography because of that framing. The elderly Cole is sitting in a theater (actually the theater where he first performed when he was nine in his hometown of Peru, Indiana) with a character named Gabe. It has been speculated Gabe is the archangel Gabriel or perhaps he is a producer-director who wants to bring Cole's life to the stage. Who knows and it hardly matters.
Often when the two men are discussing a certain segment of Cole's life, it starts to be played out on that stage, say, with a young Cole at the piano. From there it goes into a full-fledged flashback. Gabe challenges Cole, asks deeply personal questions and serves as a tour guide of the great composer's life. I found it an utterly fascinating technique although I am aware of some who didn't.
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| Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd both fascinate as the Porters |
The 36-year Porter marriage, as one might imagine, was not without its share of angst. Linda was confident she could navigate through marriage to a gay man but found it not an easy thing to do. When he disappeared during a party, she was upset and she went into a blue funk when she awakened in the morning and found him just coming in from a night with the boys.
One cannot help but giggle over Linda wanting to move Cole away from Venice, Italy and other European gay spots to a safer one... Hollywood. Giggle... giggle. Although chiefly a songwriter for Broadway plays, he did have an illustrious career in the movies.
The greatest tragedy in Cole Porter's life occurred in 1937 while horseback riding at a friend's New York estate. The horse reared, sending Cole to the ground and then the animal fell and rolled on his legs, crushing them. Leaving Cole substantially crippled, he was in pain for the rest of his life. Neither he nor Linda would consent to an amputation. Twenty years later, after her 1954 death from emphysema, he would have his right leg amputated. He would never write another song.
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| The real Linda and Cole |
Cole Porter wrote some of the world's greatest love songs but I wonder if he ever had the good laugh over some of them that I and gay friends of mine have had. While straight couples the world over have cooed over his gorgeous lyrics, there seems to be little doubt that the man wrote them based on gay experiences. You're the Top always made me laugh and if Love for Sale isn't about cruising for some action, I don't know what is. Also, so many of his lyrics appeared to question love and seemed to be a study of confusion.
The use of contemporary singers to appear on screen to sing some of his songs was nothing short of inspired. I'd like to think it got a few young people to the movies to learn about this genius. One of my favorite entertainers, handsome John Barrowman, has a nice turn as a singer-actor who frustratingly tries to nail the high and low notes of the fabulous Night and Day and then has a rendezvous with the songwriter in Central Park.
Elvis Costello belts out Let's Misbehave (although the song, like a few others, is interrupted by dialogue), Alanis Morissette sings Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love (birds do it, bees do it), Natalie Cole offers up Every Time We say Goodbye, Lemar sings What Is This Thing Called Love? with a small combo on a gondola in Venice and Mick Hucknall croons I Love You. Caroline O'Connor
impersonates Ethel Merman singing Anything Goes, Diana Krall sings Just One of Those Things, Vivian Green offers Love for Sale and So in Love is performed by Lara Fabian and Mario Frangoulis (in a scene from Porter's last Broadway hit, Kiss Me Kate).
Ashley Judd sings True Love (I had no idea this was a Porter song), Robbie Williams belts out the title tune and my favorite was Sheryl Crow's beautiful rendition of Begin the Beguine. Most of the other songs-- In the Still of the Night, Experiment, Easy to Love, Well Did You Evah?, It's All Right With Me and Be a Clown-- are sung by Kevin Kline. While Kline, a good singer, did his own singing, it was necessary to not sound so good because Porter's singing was not so good. Porter himself sings You're the Top over the closing credits.
A film about wealthy people always looks good and actually, this one is exceptional with beautiful sets, locations and costumes. Perhaps no actor has ever been dressed so well in a film as Kline.
I understand it was a labor of love for everyone involved and it shows. Director Winkler was so excited to get this on the screen. Kline and Judd are simply perfect... what else can I say? Pryce also excels in his unusual role.
The film ends with most of the cast in that small theater singing Blow, Gabriel, Blow. They come on one or two at a time and greet Porter in his seat, until all are on stage together singing the rollicking tune. What a grand way to end a musical biography.
Next posting:
a glittering cast
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