Powerful

I'll tell you why so serious

Expected more

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

I have to say that my only exposure to Sir Noel Coward's work was seeing the London production of "Hay Fever" with Dame Judi Dench and an all star cast in it's final performance. This film is based on a play by Coward. He enjoys mocking the hypocrisies of the upper class and aristocracy. In this film version, a wild American widow Larita marries into an uptight old British family. Colin Firth and Dame Kristen Scott Thomas plays the in-laws. Jessica Biel plays Larita. The film has some comedic and dramatic moments. Her in-laws are bewildered and amused by her. The film is done on location. The cast are first rate. The storyline especially Coward's plays are dated by today's standards.

Although this film was technically well-made in a beautiful location with some interesting shots, I could never find it believable no matter how hard I tried! It was really difficult to tell whether the filmmakers were trying to realistically portray the lifestyle and morals of the time, or whether they wanted to take more liberties with it (Sex Bomb?). As it is, it feels quite uneven.As well, the character of John was completely undeveloped. I couldn't even describe him if you asked me to. I think the screenplay could have done a much better job of developing his character. Jessica Biel's acting seemed quite forced; I was always aware she was really trying to "act" the part of a worldly opinionated young woman. And(although this might be the same in the Coward original) her character seemed like a bit of a psycho! Larita gives a moving speech about love, but throughout the film she doesn't seem sensitive at all to others' needs and feelings - if she doesn't like them, it means she can treat them however she wants.The soundtrack was also bordering on excessive.All in all, a bit of a disappointment. I wasn't expecting "great cinema" or anything, but I wish this film was less ramshackle.

I think I saw a review for this British film on Film 2008 with Jonathan Ross, I was certainly up for trying it because of a very appealing cast, based on the Noël Coward play, from director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). Basically, set in 1929, the Whittaker family live in a large rural estate mansion, and they are sinking into bankruptcy, but they try to carry on as normal, especially as they are expecting a return and a new addition. John (The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian's Ben Barnes) is returning home from Monaco, where he met and married American widow and race car driver Larita (The Illusionist's Jessica Biel), and with a mind of her own she assumes they are just visiting and then moving to London. But she had not counted on the mother-in-law, Mrs. Veronica Whittaker (Kristin Scott Thomas), she is icy cold and wants her son to help bring the family out of their situation, whereas father-in-law Major Jim Whittaker (Colin Firth) and sisters-in-law Hilda (Fresh Meat's Kimberley Nixon) and Marion (The IT Crowd's Katherine Parkinson) find her charming. As time goes by Larita finds it hard to fit in to the British higher class traditions and the activities and interests of the family members, and after accidentally killing the pet chihuahua she knows that it will cause even more tension. This is of course eventually found out, but Larita also gives joking advice to Hilda about a performance on stage, to not wear underwear underneath the costume, but she took this literally, and more embarrassing, the sister-in-law catches her and John making love. With all these complications between the new relatives, the only sympathetic ear Larita can find is talking to the Major, repairing his old motorbike, and from the servants, including sarcastic butler Furber (My Family's Kris Marshall), all of whom treat her much better. Veronica in the time forced to get to know her son's new wife tried a few dirty tricks and said some nasty things, but Larita is not humiliated by her, but by a newspaper revealing scandalous secrets about her first marriage to an older man dying of cancer, whom she helped die with poison. In the end, with John rejecting her, leaving to his original love interest Sarah Hurst (Charlotte Riley), and having one final argument with Veronica, Larita sees nothing else to do but leave the home and the marriage, with the Major, who clearly has something for her, going with her. Also starring Christian Brassington as Phillip Hurst, Jim McManus as Jackson, Pip Torrens as Lord Hurst, Jeremy Hooton as Davis, Joanna Bacon as Cook, Maggie Hickey as Millie the Maid and Georgie Glen as Mrs. Landrigin. Scott Thomas is terrific as the unhappy mother-in-law, Biel is likable as the unusual American newcomer, Firth does great as the man who admires her very much, Barnes gets his moments being nice and getting frustrated, and supporting cast members Parkinson, Nixon and Marshall get their time used well also. It is a pretty simple of a woman borough into a new class of people, literally, and we obviously see the most often funny events and occasional consequences, the most funny moment being killing the dog and forced to sit on it waiting to dispose of the body, a funny and likable romantic comedy. Good!

The era between the two great wars of the last century is the period where this comedy is set. English aristocracy trying to hold on to ancestral lands, but having a hard time doing so, is the subject of the adaptation of Noel Coward's play of the same title. John, the heir of the Whittaker estate, meets and falls in love with an American race driver. Wanting to bring his new bride home to introduce her to his family, proves not to have been such a good idea, after all.Larita, the ace driver does not have a clue as to what lengths her new mother-in-law, Mrs. Whittaker, will go to remind her of her lowly status as the newlywed woman arrives to the old homestead. Jim Whittaker, the father of John, is a man that has no saying in what goes on in the house, ruled with an iron fist by his wife. It is not too long after the arrival of the American when trouble begins between two women from two different worlds. Larita, after scandalizing the family when a secret about her past life is revealed, decides to leave it all because she realizes the husband she married care more for his status, than for her. It is the opportunity Jim Whittaker has wanted in order to escape his horrible life.Directed by Stephan Elliott, who adapted Noel Coward's material with Sheridan Jobbins, succeeds in creating a comedy that holds our attention. The theme of class differences has been done before. Surprisingly, Alfred Hitchcock directed the original screen adaptation of the play in 1928. Not having seen it, there is no basis for comparison. What Mr. Elliott achieved was bringing a remarkable cast to do justice to the Noel Coward witty play for our benefit. Some well known songs by Mr. Coward are heard throughout the film.Jessica Biel proves to be a good choice for Larita, the American race driver. She holds her own playing opposite the likes of Colin Firth and the wonderful Kristin Scott-Thomas, who makes the hateful Mrs. Whittaker a figure of scorn, but never descending into a caricature of the character. The English supporting cast, especially Ben Barnes, playing John Whittaker, is good. Kris Marshall is perfect as the drinking butler.