De-Lovely Reviews

• Songs don't need to be about somebody, but they usually are

  
  By A2NJO6YE954DBH on 2005-01-03
  "When they begin the beguine
  It brings back the sound of music so tender,
  It brings back a night of tropical splendor,
  It brings back a memory ever green."
  
  When "De-Lovely" begins it is October 15, 1964 and Cole Porter (Kevin Kline) is about to die. This requires his life to flash before his eyes, but since we are talking Cole Porter this means there are all sorts of creative decisions involved in this final production. The conceit of the film is that Porter is sitting in the first theater that he visited while growing in Peru, Indiana, with "Gabe" (Jonathan Pryce) at his side. The result is not a musical but rather a musical biography, which is why we do not go back to Porter's childhood but rather to the moment that the gay songwriter met the love of his life, the divorcee Linda Lee (Ashley Judd), who would become his wife.
  
  "And that's why birds do it, bees do it
  Even educated fleas do it
  Let's do it, let's fall in love."
  
  Cole and Linda marry, equally aware of the strengths as well as the weaknesses of their relationship. Linda was more than a front of respectability for Cole's homosexuality; she was his muse. "De-Lovely" abandons the traditions of a bio-pic in terms of places and dates to focus more on the songs Cole Porter wrote. Kevin Kline is a piano player, and he uses this talent to great affect in the film. Cole is often sitting at the piano composing the music of his life and it compels us to listen again to the familiar lyrics, but this time in the context of his life. The recurring thought is not that he is writing all of these songs to reflect himself, but that there are times when the songs are clearly for her.
  
  "Every time we say goodbye, I die a little,
  Every time we say goodbye, I wonder why a little,
  Why the Gods above me, who must be in the know.
  Think so little of me, they allow you to go."
  
  You can try and tell the story of Cole Porter's life, but it is always going to come back to his music. After all, it is a song that attracts Linda to Cole and teaching someone to sing "Night and Day" that shows Porter at his seductive best. However, when you have Cole Porter's songs being sung by the likes of Elvis Costello, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow, Dianna Krall, Robbie Williams, and Natalie Cole, it is not surprising that those songs once again take the spotlight away from the man who wrote them. I was rather surprised that I recognized every single song played in "De-Lovely," but then that only serves to underscore that Cole Porter is one of the greatest American songwriters.
  
  "You're the Top! You're the colosseum,
  You're the Top! You're the louve museum,
  You're a melody from a symphony, by Strauss,
  You're a Bandle bonnet, a Shakspeare sonnet,
  You're Mickey mouse.
  You're the Nile, You're the Towr of Pisa,
  You're the smile on the Mona Lisa;
  Im a worthless check, a total wreck, a flop,
  But if Baby, Im the bottom,
  You're the top!"
  
  Director Irwin Winkler's 2004 film has the advantage of not only Porter's music but of Kline's performance, although obviously the actor needs to tone down his singing considerably (we get to hear Porter himself singing at the start of the final credits). Judd, who usually refrains from singing in public to avoid comparison to her mother and sister, does a couple of songs as well. You can also throw in the exquisite period costumes courtesy of Armani that help to define Porter as the paradigm of wit and urbane sophistication before the riding accident that crippled him. The film keeps trying to suggest that "Let's Misbehave!" is the de facto Cole Porter theme song, but in the end the man and his music both speak to more optimistic sentiments.
  
  "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
  And though I'm not a great romancer
  I know that I'm bound to answer
  When you propose,
  Anything goes."
  
  

• Wins on story, loses on subtleties

  
  By on 2004-06-03
  Straight people will probably give straight people awards for this one. Despite it's very many short-comings, I enjoyed this film, and would recommend it to friends. The soundtrack (ASIN: B00023GGHQ) is already in my "Buy" cart.

  The aged, late Cole Porter (Kevin Kline) reviews his life as a directed (Jonathan Pryce) performance. Irwin Winkler directs this musical biographic drama, which centers on the "love" affair between Cole Porter and his wife, Linda. It reveals her acceptance of Cole's homosexual life-style, and the effects it had upon their marriage. Cole's significant gay relationships are footnoted. An array of artists (Alanis Morissette, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Vivian Green, Robbie Williams, etc) add a modern tribute to many of Cole Porter's hits.

  Ashley Judd gives a stunning performance as wife Linda Porter. Kevin Kline's performance as both young and old Cole Porter is a gem, while never once being believable as a bi-sexual/homosexual. Indeed all of the gay characters were either overacted stereotypes or underactedly sterile. Straight people's imaginings of what gay relationships and life-styles are like. The brevity of Cole's homosexual encounters (only seen with pecking kisses, and getting dressed exiting after sex) were reminiscent of 1970s cinematic portrayals and subtracted from the story, de-emphasizng Linda's need to feel jealous. The film offers a welcomed view into Cole Porter's bi/gay personal life, but only as seen through straight glasses.

  If you are a purist, the historical inaccuracies and mordern use of his music will probably drive you crazy. Though, there are a few historical gems in this film, omitted from other biographies, because of the access granted to the filmmakers. The modernization of the music may not be appropriate for a bio-pic, but it served well as a musical storytelling soundtrack. Actually, the soundtrack is just plain FUN!! Vivian Green singing "Love For Sale" was worth the price of admission, alone. If you're into fairly current music, the line-up of artists singing Cole Porter tunes is an eye-catcher.

  Despite the fact that you leave the film with a wealth of minor unexplained details, after a disjoint attempt at a happy ending...this film will actually find you BOTH beating to the musical numbers and teary-eyed. It's "small" budget certainly doesn't show. It's acting is spot-ily great. It is often very moving. The dialog has charm, and many true one-line gems. It's entertainment value is quite high. Cole Porter's songs and tunes can catch anyone's attention, and are introduced to a new generation.

  Though, "De-Lovely" may not be de-lovely, I found it to be entertaining.
  
  

• De-Lovely Most De-Lightful Musical

  
  By A3BIWTN2DA0YY2 on 2005-01-03
  The musical production numbers are fabulous in this telling of the high and low points in the life of songwriter Cole Porter. He wrote so many tunes, ones I've heard and loved all my life, and those selected for this movie were great---many done with updated renditions by current artists.
  
  The movie begins when an aged Porter is summoned by a director to view the rehearsal for a play based on his life. The story unfolds in a series of theatrical scenes beginning with his love-at-first-sight romance with Linda and his lifelong devotion to her. Also highlighted is his bisexual lifestyle which she accepts amazingly well as long as it doesn't become a public scandal. Kevin Kline is outstanding as the young and dashing Porter as well as the aged and defeated man. Ashley Judd shines as the loving mate who guides his career and his recovery from a horrific accident.
  
  But it is the music that steals the show, the lyrics and melodies that have endured for years and will remain firmly entrenched as pop standards long past the 20th century. Songs such as "De-Lovely," "Let's Misbehave," "Night and Day," "Anything Goes," "You're the Top," and my personal favorite "Every Time We Say Goodbye" are done with the style and grace worthy of Cole Porter and performed by such varied artists as Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette, Natalie Cole and others including Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd. One outstanding feature of the DVD is that the scene selection menu makes it easy to just go back and see all the production numbers.
  
  If you like musicals and a toe-tapping good time, this is one you don't want to miss.
  
  

• De-Lovely is De-Lightful!

  
  By A3DE9GQDO6O6D1 on 2004-07-31
  I must admit that I reluctantly went to see De-Lovely starring Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd when the weather was inclement. But as I sat in the theater I thought, in the end, reviews are only reviews. And what one person may not enjoy, another person loves. And no more was that evident than how I felt about De-Lovely. For me it was simply purely de-lightful and not since Chicago have I so enjoyed a musical film as much. I even found I could actually understand the words and couldn't help but hum along. I might have even sang a bit if it wasn't for the rest of the audience.
  
  From the moment we see an aging Kevin Kline playing In the Still of the Night, to the rousing chorus of Blow Gabriel Blow, my feet were tapping, my voice was straining to burst into song and my eyes didn't know where to look first. I couldn't help but ogle at the elegance and grace shown on stage with costumes and a style we seldom see anymore.
  
  I loved the way the film unfolded telling the story of Cole Porter and his music through the character of Jonathan Pryce, a director who was mounting the life of Mr. Porter for a Broadway show. Of course it doesn't take long before the viewer realizes that Mr. Pryce's character is not a director but perhaps a musical angel who is shepherding Mr. Porter to heaven. From these opening scenes to the introduction of Linda who will become Mrs. Cole Porter to others in his life, his words and music performed by guest artists served as a wonderful background to the story. And as we watch Cole Porters life is portrayed including his sexual proclivities, his love for Linda and then a horseback riding accident which maims him. Gone from this movie were the provocative dresses, foul language and nude scenes which we have become accustomed to in movies today. Instead we were treated to a glimpse of the world of musical society and Hollywood from a time long gone.
  
  As a woman brought up with monthly trips to Broadway shows to hear the music and lyrics by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Alan Jay Lerner, Stephen Sondheim and Leonard Bernstein among many others, the music alone was worth the price of admission. And then I was able to forget the world around me as I sat entranced by the incredible Kevin Kline and the lovely and so well cast Ashley Judd. If you remember Cole Porter's music, see this movie. And if you have no idea who Cole Porter was, run to see this film. I bet you will agree with me when I say, they don't write songs like they used to.
  
  I close by saying I gave this movie two thumbs up and can't wait to buy the DVD.
  
  
  
  

• Porter's Life as a Somewhat Dark Musical Reminiscence

  
  By A26JGAM6GZMM4V on 2004-08-14
  What we have here is a film based on but not limited to the adult life of Cole Porter. How to describe it? It's not a biopic nor is it a musical comedy. It resembles All That Jazz (1979) and Evita (1996) when combining fact with contrivance within a series of flashbacks to create dramatic impact. Various devices (e.g. hallucination and reminiscence) enable us to explore various components of Porter's life as well as the various relationships which he developed over a period of several decades. Kevin Kline brilliantly portrays Porter, with an able supporting cast headed by Ashley Judd (Linda Thomas Cole), Jonathan Pryce (Gabe), Kevin McNally (Gerald Murphy), Sandra Nelson (Sara Murphy), and Alan Corduner (Monty Woolley). I guess this could be called a Film Noir/Musical Review. Defining moments in Porter's adult life are coordinated with his greatest Broadway musicals which include Gay Divorcee, Anything Goes, and Kiss Me Kate, later adapted to the screen. As for his most popular songs, several of their titles suggest double meanings when we take into account Porter's bi-sexual love life. For example, "Let's Do It," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "You Do Something to Me," and "Anything Goes." Irwin Winkler pulls all of this together fairly well. Yes, the plot has its lumpy moments and, yes, the make-up isn't always effective (late in life, Kline's Porter resembles Charles Foster Kane) but the musical performances are highly entertaining and I especially appreciate the fact that Kline sings as ineptly as Porter did. I much prefer this version to Night and Day (1946) which Porter enjoyed because he was played by Cary Grant. On balance, De-Lovely is an enjoyable film and I resist the temptation to offer a pun on its title when selecting a title of my own for these brief remarks.
  
  
• De-Lovely delightful? Definitely!
  By A2KP0ONGECY1WT on 2004-07-07
  De-Lovely is a major achievement and is remarkable for many reasons, not the least of them being that it was even made in the first place. For every De-Lovely, Hollywood seems to crank out hundreds of shoot-em-up explosion spectaculars, teen sex comedies, star vehicles for gangster rappers, and depressing, nihilistic "independent" films for the intelligentsia.

  De-Lovely is everything these films are not. It is a great musical in the "they don't make `em like that any more" sense, a poignantly heartwarming love story with true emotional depth (and a twist), a celebration of life and happiness (as well as a recognition and understanding of life's tragedies), and a star vehicle for two truly talented actor/singers, Kevin Klein and Ashley Judd, plus a plethora of cameo appearances by currently popular singers (including Elvis Costello, Alanis Morissette, Sheryl Crow and Natalie Cole) who obviously are singing their songs more for love (of Cole Porter) than money.

  As depicted in De-Lovely, Cole Porter possessed more joie-de-vivre than perhaps any man in history, and he wrote his songs straight from the heart. The first part of the film, corresponding to the first half of Porter's adult life, appears to be all peaches and cream, and I was prepared simply to enjoy an upbeat musical. Porter enters into a nearly perfect (for him) relationship with his wife Linda, that allows him his dalliances and to remain true to his self, but also to, over time, experience the depths of true love with a life's partner. It is the second half of the film, when the Porter's must overcome multiple tragedies, that elevate De-Lovely to a truly noteworthy film, by showing a deep understanding of love and humanity.

  Kevin Klein and Ashley Judd give great performances. Klein has the most challenging role, as he must sing, dance, and act through a broad range of emotions, as well as age over the course of 40 or 50 years (by the way, the make-up work which aged the actors is very good - it must be amazing for Klein and Judd to see what they may look like in their 60s or 70s). I wouldn't be surprised to see Oscar nominations for Klein (especially) and Judd, if this film reaches a broad enough audience. My quibbles with the film are minor (some abrupt transitions, and some garbled dialogue), and are far outweighed by the many positives.

  Surprisingly, the major movie critics have ranged all over the "love/hate" spectrum in their reviews of De-Lovely (check out the metacritic web site to see for yourself). I think the reaction to the film is primarily a function of the state of mind of the reviewer, i.e. subjectivity dominates objectivity. I am flabbergasted that the Village Voice reviewer could call this film "overwhelmingly glum". I wonder what this reviewer thought of "Sid & Nancy", which I would say is the antithesis of De-Lovely?

  If modern pop culture has not yet turned you into a complete cynic, if you have any appreciation at all for music of the Jazz Age, big bands, or crooners such as Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Mel Torme, or (today) Harry Connick Jr., if you have a romantic bone in your body, if you enjoy traditional Hollywood or Broadway musicals or a great love story, then I think you will find De-Lovely definitely delightful!
  
  

• It's DE-PRESSING...
  By AW1LLQVIYVEWZ on 2005-01-31
  It's sad to see Hollywood get it so wrong. Of course, it isn't new for Hollywood to get it wrong--but the people involved in this film should know better-especially Kline.
  
  While some moments are indeed culled from reality (Cole Porter did lose the use of both his legs in a riding accident later in life and did have to be carried into the opening night of his musical KISS ME KATE on Broadway), some of the "liberties" Irwin Winkler and the screenwriter take with the facts are rather astonishing.
  
  Like another reviewer has mentioned, Cole Porter led a fantastic, fun-filled social life, surrounded by wonderful personalities like Elsa Maxwell (where was she in the film?), Monty Wooley (represented, but poorly), the African-American entertainer Bricktop, Noel Coward, and the Windsors. Of course his parties would have been something else! But if you went by this film, you'd think he had few friends and nobody to count on but his wife Linda.
  
  Ashley Judd is completely miscast as the wealthy divorcee who connects with Porter. She has no chemistry with Kline or anyone else in the film, and is too young for the part.
  
  Kline himself is too old to play the young Porter and the ridiculously bad make-up used to make him the "old Porter" makes this viewer wish they had cast 2 actors.
  
  Kline certainly has the right energy and vivacity to play a convincing Porter, but he needs a good script and a clever director and talented co-stars..all of which he was lacking in this sad excuse for a biopic.
  
  Don't even get me started on the simply murderous versions of some of Porter's most wonderful songs, massacred by the modernized orchestrations and deliveries of the likes of Sheryl Crow (!!! Her take on "Begin the Beguine" is the worst cover of a Porter song I've ever heard--it doesn't even sound like the same song!), Elvis Costello, and other minor artists that don't deserve the few seconds given to them on screen.
  
  Such a wasted opportunity to make a wonderful story for the screen about one of our greatest composers. Sad on all accounts.
  
  If you want a better view of Porter's life and his music, I recommend the musical RED, HOT & COLE, a wonderful show that was written in the late 70s and was produced in LA and Richmond (never got to Broadway), but that uses Porters songs and the setting of several of his "swell parties", to tell his life story much more interestingly than this film could ever hope to do.
  
  
• Unsatisfying, But With First-Rate Performances
  By A2GCHG6U8HTVIT on 2004-10-22
  Watching this movie was like being handed a great-looking Christmas present and then finding the box held socks. A let-down. At least it was considerably more honest about Porter's married and sex lives (they weren't the same) than the grotesque Night and Day. On the plus side was Porter's songs, lots lof them, and performed well by singers like Elvis Costello and Sheryl Crow, who don't come to mind as Porter specialists. And there is the job by Kevin Kline, one of the most skilled and likeable actors around. Ashley Judd did, I thought, a good job in a fairly thankless role.
  
  The movie, to me, seemed leaden, with the direction heavy footed. Almost every meaningful moment that arose was underlined by an obvious song, or lighting, or staging. The framing device with Jonathan Pryce didn't work for me; it was too much "and then you did" kind of a thing. Pryce, who has great song-and-dance skills, was completely wasted. The brief look at him strutting his stuff at the end was way too short. And I couldn't decide if they were trying to make the old Porter look like Rod Steiger or Carl Reiner.
  
  Then there is the matter of Porter's personality. Even his most complimentary biographers allow that he was a superficial, condescending social snob. He was witty and charming with those he considered his equals in "society" and those with whom he worked in the theater. But he thought nothing of humiliating or being publicly rude to those he thought didn't meet his social standards. At any rate, the personal angst of the rich and famous have never touched me deeply...even when J Lo and Ben broke up.
  
  I give the movie high marks for Kline, the songs and the star performers, but I thought the rest of it was too heavy handed. I'll admit, though, that I may get the DVD; if I do it will be for the song performances.
  
  (If you're interested in seeing a top notch musical biography, check out Topsy-Turvy. It costars Allan Corduner, who plays Monty Wooley in this film, as the Sullivan half of Gilbert and Sullivan.)
  
  
• It's an interesting song. Do you know it?
  By ACIBQ6BQ6AWEV on 2006-01-03
  Cole Porter, legendary composer and lyricist, met and married American divorcee Linda in Paris. The marriage was unexpected: where Porter was clearly homosexual, Linda was uninterested in physical intimacy. Even so, those who knew them describe them as deeply in love with each other on a purely emotional level. Throughout their long marriage, Porter repeatedly engaged in shallow liaisons with various men while Linda looked the other way--at least as long as Porter was reasonably discreet.
  
  Porter's sense of discretion was not always sufficent for Linda, who left him several times and threatened divorce on at least one occasion. It was, however, enough "to get by" with the vast public, which saw only the glamour of their lives and the great brilliance of Porter's talents. The result was a 1946 film biography that put many of Porter's greatest songs before the camera while casting handsome Cary Grant as the waspish Porter and lovely Alexis Smith as the somewhat icy Linda--a movie that went over well with audiences but which actually had very little basis in reality.
  
  The 2004 DE-LOVELY takes a considerably different tack. It would be hard to say that the film "tells all"--but it tells enough and it offers a host of high-art concepts and truly fine performances in the process. It debuted with tremendous fanfare and then, amazingly, seemed to vanish from the screen within a single night. While most critics liked the film, the public did not, and they were pretty emphatic about it.
  
  Some audiences complained about the "artiness" of the film's concept, which consists of the aging Porter reviewing the major events of his life through the filter of a stage show--an idea that seems to owe a great deal to Bob Fosse's ALL THAT JAZZ without managing to carry it off with the same conviction. Some Porter fans complained that the contemporary pop singers used in the film couldn't carry Porter's music; others complained that the music was never presented in a straight-forward sort of way. Still others were taken aback by the discovery that Porter was gay--and truly one has to wonder where such viewers have been for the past fifty years, that they somehow managed to miss this very widely circulated bit of information.
  
  In truth, the concept works reasonably if not spectacularly well, the singers are acceptable if not always knock-out in their performances, and Porter's sexual habits are made plain without throwing the characters in and out of bed on the screen. The real problem with DE-LOVELY, at least to my mind, is two-fold: it is just ever-so-slightly slow and it is profoundly, and I do mean profoundly, depressing. Each tends to heighten the effect of the other.
  
  On the other hand, the performances are exceptionally good. Kevin Kline is hardly a look-alike for the small, dark Cole Porter, but you believe him in the role. As for Ashley Judd--the role of Linda Porter would seem impossible to play in a believable sort of way, much less in a sympathetic manner, but she carries it flawlessly from start to finish. Together they are brilliant, and that isn't a word I use very often in refence to contemporary film making.
  
  The DVD contains a host of bonuses, including two audio tracks and several behind-the-scenes documentaries, and for once the word "bonus" really is generally applicable. While it will probably prove too dark for most, many will be fascinated by the way DE-LOVELY turns the glitter of Porter's public life into a costume for his often bitter private life--something that was very much the case in reality. Recommended.
  
  GFT, Amazon Reviewer
  
  
• "True, dear...but strange, dear..."
  By A319KYEIAZ3SON on 2004-08-27
  This often fascinating portrait of songwriter Cole Porter, directed by Irwin Winkler, puts many of Porter's most famous songs into the context of his life. But that life, as seen in this filmscript by Jay Cocks, is full of contradictions, and the viewer ultimately comes away from the film familiar with many aspects of Porter's life but with little sense of the whole. Well worth seeing for Porter's wonderful music, and for the on-screen solos by contemporary stars like Diana Krall, Natalie Cole, Alanis Morrissette, and Sheryl Crow--the film ultimately fails to give much insight into the complexity of the man, his marriage, or his career.
  
  Part of the difficulty lies in the structure of the film, which opens with two aged men, one of them obviously Porter (Kevin Kline), the other a director (Jonathan Pryce), sitting in front of an empty stage on which scenes from Porter's life and music unfold. Though this device gives a frame to the action, it is intrusive, constantly shifting attention from emotional and tension-filled scenes back to the two old men, who just stand, observe, and occasionally comment. This kills the tension and prevents the audience from developing any sustained personal identification with the characters from episode to episode.
  
  Porter, a bisexual, is shown from the outset as a devoted partner to Linda (Ashley Judd), the supportive and loving woman who becomes his wife, helpmate, and, in some ways, guiding spirit, though she is aware of his attraction for men and often finds herself alone. Recognizing his love for her, she tolerates his dalliances (for reasons that are unclear here), and as the audience sees Cole and Linda subtly aging (remarkably well done by Make-up Director Sarah Monzani) and observes their increasingly ostentatious lifestyle, they also see Cole welcoming the stability Linda gives his life. Kevin Kline is a rather phlegmatic Cole Porter, but he exudes charm, and in his lack of good singing voice, he parallels Porter himself. Ashley Judd is terrific as Linda, very relaxed and confident in her role and able to convey in a glance her love and concern.
  
  The photography (Tony Pierce-Roberts) adds to the period flavor throughout--bright, colorful, and sometimes frenetic, when the mood calls for it, with one scene that fades from color to black and white for dramatic effect. Ultimately, the viewer gains some information about Porter and his life and has a fine time listening to the music and watching the dancing, but the man himself remains an enigma. Mary Whipple
  
  
• Great songwriter, HORRIBLE movie!!!
  By AJIT88JWE7PNS on 2005-08-11
  Kevin Kline is his usual charming self, but the script, direction and Ashley Judd's acting are beyond atrocious.
  
  
  
  
• Not quite Anything Goes...
  By A2VE83MZF98ITY on 2004-08-03
  'Delovely' is an interesting portrait of Cole Porter and his wife, Linda, played out against a backdrop of Cole's songs from various musicals. The film is framed in a tryptych manner -- the first act is the Paris/Venice time; the second act takes place in New York; the third act in Hollywood. In between are minor scenes fleshing out the life of the Porters.
  
  Cole Porter was born in the late 1800s, and came to prominence in the same post-war, roaring 20s ages that also saw people such as Irving Berlin and Noel Coward. He met the desirable and socially-connected divorcee Linda Taylor in Paris; their marriage seemed from the outside rather idyllic, but there was a secret. This was a marriage of love, to be sure, but not lust. Cole Porter was gay, not really even bisexual, but gay. While this came as no surprise to Linda, over time Cole's attachments to his other loves threatened the integrity of their relationship in Linda's eyes.
  
  Cole Porter tried to be faithful to three things -- to his wife, Linda; to his music; and to his own identity. These did not always fit well together. Even though faithfulness to Linda meant emotional and relationship attachment rather than sexual fidelity, even here, Cole's attachments to some of his lovers would become strong enough to warrant Linda wanting a change; unfortunately for her, Cole was able to find a gay life no matter where they moved. Linda's ultimate reconciliation to this came from her recognition that Cole's life, like his music, couldn't be restrained. Cole's ultimate regret was that he couldn't find the perfect someone, that his love was always meaningful but not always satisfying.
  
  Kevin Kline's protrayal of the conflicted Cole Porter is a very good one; Ashley Judd's Linda is very sensitive and stunningly portrayed. Jonathan Pryce is the shadowy director, who pieces together the life of the Porters in a montage in front of an aged Cole, not quite in flashback, but in time-sequence inspiration. We as the audience watching with Cole are introduced to major figures in his life, including some of his lovers (but only peripherally), and many of his friends, but most figures remain undeveloped save for Cole and Linda.
  
  The sets, the scene sequence changes from 'actual' to 'stage', and the scene-shift tone of character are all very effective. Cole Porter's running commentary on his own life helps provide an historical framework as well as an emotional one; the narrative is carried by both the relationship interactions and the songs -- Cole Porter put so much of his own life into the songs. He claims at various points that they were all written for Linda; Linda, ever the realist in the shell of an idealist, knows better, and says so.
  
  While much of the story, the sets, the costume and even the credits are done in a style of the 1920s and 1930s (Art Deco is a prominent, recurring theme), the music did not take on this style. More in the tone of 'Red, Hot, and Blue', the Cole Porter-themed tribute album of the late 80s, the songs were often modern renderings of old standards, but modern stars such as Elvis Costello, Alanyis Morrisette, and Sheryl Crow. There are a good number of pieces performed by Kevin Klein and Ashley Judd themselves, Klein performing them as the less-than-stellar-singer Porter himself might have done them. While the music being performed in more modern arrangement jars a little bit with the more time-bound theme of the film, it is still effective in the sense that Porter's music is timeless in many ways.
  
  The movie drags a bit at times, but it covers the long stretch of Cole Porter's career, and his marriage with Linda from beginning to end. Romance with a decided twist, this is a somewhat sad film, in that despite the obvious love around the characters in the film, no one is finally satisfied with such love. And still, it is de-lovely.
  
  
• Good musical performances, bad movie
  By A1U6B2LDK3BUVU on 2005-08-21
  There is so much variety in the opinions of the reviewers on this site. I'll add my reactions to this chorus.
  
  First of all, I thought it was a pretty bad movie. There was no one to root for, no one to like, no one to care about. The relationship between Cole and Linda was a bunch of nothing, and annoying as well.
  
  Here is Cole Porter, a homosexual who is fond of his wife Linda. Stuff it. What kind of artificial marriage is this. A bunch of baloney.
  
  There are no interesting scenes between these two lovebirds. None. There isn't one moment that I felt was real. When Cole told Linda of his love for her, I felt like saying oh shut up. Why Linda was hung up on him escapes me.
  
  There were no relationships between Cole and his male lovers either. He really didn't connect with anyone emotionally in the entire movie. If he has no emotions, then why should I care about him. He is tiresome.
  
  The only happy event in the entire movie is the song Blow Gabriel Blow. Why? Because it means Cole Porter will die already. Great. What a relief.
  
  As for the musical numbers, they were excellent. The reviewers who panned Alanis Morissette don't know what they are talking about and are tasteless snobs. She did a great job, a really great job on her Cole Porter song. All of the stars did.
  
  The music is terrific, but unfortunately it is weighted down with the bricks of a dead script in which nothing at all of interest happens.
  
  It's not that the movie is too long. It is, but that is beside the point. The movie is burdensome. Ten minutes would have been too long.
  
  Ashley Judd is likeable as Linda. Kevin Kline is annoying as Cole. Who wants to see Cary Grant again. The only person who can pull that off without making you sick is Cary Grant himself. Kevin Kline is a tiresome Cary Grant with no joy.
  I find it odd that the other reviewers on this site criticize Ashley and praise Kevin. Why? What movie were you watching? Ashley wasn't terrible despite a script that is a load. I guess that's the best I can say about the acting. Here's my Ebert and Roper type quote. "Ashley Judd wasn't terrible despite a script that is a load, and Kevin Kline is a tiresome and watered down version of Cary Grant minus the joy."
  
  
• Absolutely Fantastic
  By A2WX1UESDOLXRE on 2004-07-19
  I had to drive nearly 60 miles just to see this movie and it was worth the gas money to do so. This film is brilliant, and without a doubt, I would drive the 60 miles just to see it again.

  Kevin Kline stars as songwriter Cole Porter, who lives his life to the fullest and doesn't deny himself any happiness, whether it's happiness with his wife (played by the fantastic Ashley Judd) or with a man. It's life shown even at it's weakest moments-- his wife losing a baby and Cole being thrown from a horse and having serious problems with his legs afterwards, making it hard to use the piano pedals.

  This film is so poignant and lovely in every aspect. We get plenty of musical numbers of marvelous Cole Porter tunes, sung by wonderful guest stars, including Robbie Williams, Sheryl Crow, Elvis Costello, and Alanis Morissette. The performances by Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd have OSCAR written all over them.

  I highly recommend this film! Even if it's out of your way, as it was for me, try and make the trip anyway. If you're one of the lucky few who lives close to a theater playing this wonderful film, do not miss out on the amazing opportunity to see this one!
  
  

• A hopelessly mediocre biopic about an extraordinary man
  By AESY8NCX6VS6O on 2004-07-25
  Ever go to one of those high school musicals where you just want the kids to shut up with the badly delivered dialogue and sing a damn song? That's the vague sensation I got through most of the dialogue-stuffed scenes of director Irwin Winkler's Cole Porter biopic...but there's a catch even to this - the singing scenes in De-Lovely kinda blew, too. This is one of the first movies in recent months where I just couldn't get my head around it: is it the silly frame story device, the stagey dialogue, or the musical numbers that come off as what they are - age-demographic gimmicks? I sat through almost two hours of the movie with a look of befuddlement on my face, because De-Lovely, even with the great Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd (not in a stupid thriller for once), radiates mediocrity with every song-and-dance step. A movie away from which you should stay at least ten miles? No (do that for Troy or Two Brothers). De-Lovely isn't exactly a trainwreck (though a few musical numbers came close), but one of those crash-test-dummy videos. You know what's happening is really bad, yet you don't feel bad for watching because no one's getting hurt. Neither Kline nor Judd will damage their careers with this one, and it's not a total wreck, but spend your time with two great actors in an equally good movie. GRADE: C-
  
  
• This Is Your Life, Cole Porter!
  By A9I40WFF40R4 on 2004-07-18
  Irwin Winkler, the director of this film about Cole Porter, has chosen the device of the movie within the movie or play within the movie to present his story. Cole Porter (Kevin Klein) is an old man (wondrously made up incidentally) sitting in an empty auditorium watching his life unfold before him. There are many good reasons to see this movie, not the least of which is the score (words and music by Cole Porter). Both Klein and Ashley Judd do respectable jobs with their singing, which runs of course in the Judd family along with good looks. Some of the singing done by various artists is uneven; but seeing the movie made me want to buy a Cole Porter CD sung by someone with the talent of Ella Fitzgerald, for instance. Although the critics seem to be agog over Klein's acting-- and he is fine here-- certainly his performance is balanced by that of Ms. Judd, who does a beautifully nuanced portrait of Linda, Porter's (for the most part) understanding wife.

  Although Mr. Porter wrote wonderful music which is still bringing joy to a great many people, his marriage, particularly in his later life, if the movie is accurate, was not always happy. There is never any question, however, that the love between the Porters was true and enduring, in spite of Porter's other gay "night" life. The film is quite moving; the stranger sitting next to me wept several times in the movie and I heard sniffles behind me.

  The movie is beautifully filmed. The Coles obviously were high rollers-- lots of alcohol, cigarettes, roses, parties, fine cars and furniture; and the two stars must have worn every costume from the Armani catalogue.

  A glossy, sometimes brittle and ultimately sad movie.
  
  

• 'Anything Goes' in this Sparkling Review of Cole Porter
  By A328S9RN3U5M68 on 2004-12-23
  DE-LOVELY is a refreshingly obtuse biopic of the music and life of Cole Porter. Rather than opting for the usual Hollywood "Glenn Miler Story" type of sappy melodrama, writer Jay Cocks and Director Irwin Winkler have pieced together aspects of Cole's controversial life (remember, Cole Porter thrived in a time when homosexuality and other variations of sexual orientation were a covert in extremis - his years 1891 - 1964) and in doing so have created a unique collage of one of America's most important popular music writers.
  
  The various aspects of Cole Porter's life are presented as vignettes observed by the aged Porter (Kevin Kline) and 'directed' by Gabriel (Jonathan Pryce) seated in a dilapidated Broadway theater observing various on stage song recreations and flashbacks to the incidents in Porter's life that informed his prodigious output of music. From living the high life in Venice and Paris where he meets and weds Linda Thomas (Ashley Judd) in 1919, all the while entertaining the upper class to his witty ditties, CP and Linda move to New York and then Hollywood where he rapidly becomes the equivalent of Irving Berlin as one of America's most popular songsters.
  
  Cole Porter's homosexuality is well addressed in this film and made all the more poignant by including his utter devotion to his understanding and supportive wife (far more than just a cover). While trysts are alluded to and briefly shown, it is clear that the writer and director chose not to make CP's sexual orientation the sum and substance of his elegant, intelligent songs. In line with CP's own credo, that "Words and music must be so inseparably wedded to each other that they are like one", we are treated to a luxurious number of songs presented in both stage form and intimate piano and voice form. Many of the songs are rendered by current popular musicians and to this reviewer this adds yet another dimension to the film: the film is not an archive but a living homage to a man whose songs are still part of everyone's repertoire.
  
  The tragedies of CP's life are included - his broken legs in a horse riding accident in 1937 and the subsequent altered lifestyle that imposed, Linda's miscarriage of their only conceived child, his amputation of one the much operated legs in 1958, etc - as well as the his success with celebrated shows like Kiss Me Kate, Can Can, Anthing Goes, Silk Stockings, The gay Divorcee, etc. Much of this biopic could have become stale were it not for the magnificent performances by Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd. They are radiant, find the right curious chemistry that kept them together despite Porter's lifestyle, and they sing and play well enough to be credible.
  
  This is a movie of imagination and one to which most who see it will return frequently - for the music, for the filming techniques, and for the luminous performances by all involved. Grady Harp, December 2004
  
  
• As bad as the 1946 film
  By A3E022DRXS4RR0 on 2005-01-07
  Funny that "De-Lovely" has the gall to be snide toward the 1946 film "Night and Day," when it suffers from every single one of that film's problems: miscast, timid, inaccurate, boring, and a numbingly wasted opportunity to be great.
  
  Can you watch this film and have any opinion about Porter, or Monty Woolley, or Gerald and Sara Murphy? I never met any of them, but there is no way they were witless nothings. That's what everyone in this movie is...a nothing. Clearly, they didn't want to offend anyone by showing what Cole and Monty's sexual escapades were really like, or what kind of personality would dream up the naughtiness of a lyric like "I've got you under my skin" and "you're the top."
  
  The Hollywood section was mystifying. What movie with a mountie and an indian princess are they representing? Was that supposed to be "Rose Marie"? Wasn't "Rosalie" the film where Porter wrote a horrible title song that Louis B. Mayer actually liked?
  
  Didn't Fred Astaire introduce "Night and Day" in the stage production "The Gay Divorce", and not Cole's lover? (who the hell is "Jack"?) The movie doesn't even mention the title of the show, or give any idea when any of this is taking place.
  
  In other words, this is a biopic designed for people who have heard some Porter songs but know nothing about him. No, it doesn't need to be a 100% accurate catalog of his life, but come ON...show the audience a little respect and try to at least get the historical details straight--give your movie some kind of credibility.
  
  They even pulled in a bunch of contemporary artists (Robbie Williams, Diana Krall), and for the most part don't let them complete entire numbers. What is going on with that arrangement of "Begin the Beguine" by Sheryl Crow? Would't it have been better to have these stars sing these songs as they were arranged, and not re-interpret them?
  
  And the bookending segments with Jonathan Pryce...good Lord. What is this--A Christmas Carol? Maybe they were trying for a little "All That Jazz"-type plotting. Good luck with that. That movie had guts and wasn't afraid to be ugly...this movie is absolute decorous nonsense.
  
  I wouldn't be so hard on this movie if it hadn't tried to pass itself off as somehow correcting the mistake of the movie "Night and Day"...this movie is JUST as flawed.
  
  One redeeming quality: everyone I saw the movie with went out looking for Cole Porter songs to download off the internet. So, lets be thankful even crappy musicals like this can keep classic songs alive.
  
  Maybe one day Scorsese will make his promised film about Gershwin, and we'll see how good a composer biopic can be.
  
  
  
• It Tried, But It Didn't Make It
  By A2UM1IK632CJAO on 2005-01-07
  I am a big fan of Cole Porter and I was disappointed in this film, but it could have been a lot less entertaining.
  
  I was disappointed in the way the songs were performed. The Amazon reviewer was right on target by stating that "The parade of celebrity singers were apparently chosen for their jarringly modern vocal mannerisms." Particularly annoying was the closing song, with enough swoops and scoops to make the audience seasick. Cole Porter's songs are best done simply because the lyrics and music sparkle ("...in shallow shoals English soles do it/goldfish in the privacy of bowls do it...).
  
  Kevin Kline did an excellent job as Cole Porter. He earned the film its three stars. However, the writing was wooden. I found it difficult to care much about the characters. I was confused about some of the action and I don't know what they were trying to do with his sexuality. He loved her, but he didn't, but he did, but not really... Come on, we're adults---all leading men in films don't have to have heterosexual tendencies.
  
  
• wonderful movie
  By A2TMIRPYJXDH20 on 2004-09-24
  I thought this was a terrific movie. The characters were developed complex people - and they apparently were. The music is wonderful. Kevin Kline is amazing in his performance - his talent abounds.
  
  
• How honest is it?
  By A2MJKH6DQIKTM3 on 2005-01-19
  There's a scene in "De-Lovely" in which Cole and Linda finish watching the first Cole Porter biopic, "Night and Day," and Cole remarks that if he can survive this movie, he can survive anything. I'm not certain the real Cole would have felt more positive toward "De-Lovely."
  
  Unlike "Night and Day," "De-Lovely" tries to be more honest in dealing with Cole's homosexuality and the problems Cole and his wife Linda must face as a result. I say the film tries to be more honest but doesn't succeed. It's ironic that one of the movie's stars, Jonathan Pryce, himself starred in "Carrington," a movie that accomplished in this regard what "De-Lovely" fails to do.
  
  The best word to describe Cole's gay liaisons in "De-Lovely" would be coy. Both director Irwin Winkler and star Kevin Kline seem to be lacking any gay sensibilities whatsoever, which one might consider a necessity in dealing with any kind of honest depiction of Cole Porter, who was very much a gay man of his time. Or was Winkler simply fearful of not offending any homophobes in the audience (who would not be going to see this movie anyway)? Where there exists strong cinematic chemistry between Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd, as Cole's wife Linda, there is absolutely zero chemistry between Kevin Kline and any of his male lovers. Here's a typical example. One cleverly written scene involves Cole's tutoring of an actor, John Barrowman, to sing "Night and Day" properly. Cole explains that it is a song about obsession and proceeds to sing the song along with the actor. Later on, Barrowman meets kline for a gay tryst in Central Park. This "Night and Day" duet should have been rife with sexual tension between Cole and the actor, so that the later Central Park scene could be viewed as the pay-off. Instead, there is no sexual tension whatsover, either from Kevin Kline or from the actor. Kline's scenes with a Russian dancer are also devoid of any glimmer of lust or passion. A viewer is left with the peculiar sensation that as a homosexual, Cole is a dud and is simply going through the motions and that perhaps he is a latent heterosexual after all. (Having said this and thinking back, I realize now that the gay sexual tension in "In and Out" is coming from Tom Selleck and never from Kevin Kline.)
  
  Neither director Winkler or star Kline needed to be more graphic in any way regarding this (to secure the PG rating). (There is nothing graphic, for example, in the movie "Carrington," which does accomplish this theme of a gay writer's relationship with a woman, alongside his attraction for other men.)
  
  Other problems with the film also seem to involve audience appeasement in some way. The choice to use modern orchestrations and today's vocalists, with their modern vocal styles mainly intact, was jarring and less than satisfying, except for Natalie Cole (who sings "Ev'ry Time You Say Goodbye") and Vivian Green (who sings "Love for Sale"), both of whom were wonderful. Why are the moviemakers assuming that a modern audience cannot appreciate styles of music from sixty or seventy years ago?
  
  Some other choices were questionable. The use of Cole's songs were mainly inserted to highlight dramatic situations that might fit the lyrics, rather than when the songs were actually written. The fantasy framework of using Jonathan Pryce as the angel Gabriel to set up the story of Cole's life with Linda was also a peculiar choice, which led to a finale of "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" (beautifully performed by Pryce, I might add) but which was obviously ripped off from Bob Fosse's "All That Jazz." Far more jarring was the "Be a Clown" number, involving Kline, Peter Polycarpou as Louis B. Mayer, and entourage. Since the other musical numbers are all in some type of realistic context, such fantasy inclusions seemed a bit out of place.
  
  Finally, Cole Porter was a social animal, whose friendships with noted personalities of the period -- Noel Coward, Gertrude Lawrence, Fred Astaire, Tallulah Bankhead, George Gershwin, Clifton Webb, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, etc. -- would have made for some swell parties indeed. In "De-Lovely," only a few notable people appear -- such as Monty Wooley as a cruising buddy, Irving Berlin as a mentor, and Gerald Murphy and family as close friends. Mainly, a viewer has the feeling that Cole's life for the most part was centered around Linda alone, his muse, and that this is their love story to the exclusion of all else.
  
  Granted, there are enormous difficulties in creating a movie biography of Cole and his wife, and the attempt on Mr. Winkler's part is certainly admirable. Even if the end result is less than successful, the movie is worth seeing for several reasons -- to hear Cole's music in whatever form, and to watch Ashley Judd's nuanced performance, even though she is far better than her material.
  
  
• De-Awfully Done
  By A3ETC9BJP71RJ7 on 2005-02-07
  This movie is awful. The devise is overly cerebral and the movie is billed as something it is not. The great songs don't redeem the film's failure. Premise: During the final 10 minutes of Cole Porter's life, his life flashes before him, with a twist. The angel Gabriel sits in on the replay of Porter's life presented as a stage production rather than a flashback. Cleverly, the life is staged in the first theater in Porter's life and starts at the moment he meets his future wife, Linda, in Paris. We are wrong to believe this film is biographical. This devise is the platform upon which Porter's songs are staged, explored, meanings revealed and context presented. This movie has more in common with the stage production Jacque Briel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris than the usual film biography. As intended, Porter's songs come alive, although some are awkwardly staged. This movie makes you realize how little we sing about love with a sense of joy and fun anymore. But the story of his life along with Linda's never comes alive and the film does not do justice to their love and the depth of their intimacy.
  
  The skeleton of Porter's life is there. He lives in Paris, meets Linda, a divorcee with a battered past. They move to Venice, entertain a lot, Porter cheats a little. They move to New York to work with Irving Berlin, Porter has success on Broadway, goes to Hollywood, has many, many affairs with men who are attracted by his work and his position. Porter has success at MGM and finds more men available than he ever imagined and jumps right in. Linda is his muse and companion in life and society, his indiscreet homosexual straying breaks the implicit contract they live by, she leaves, then comes back when a riding accident leaves him crippled. They leave the West Coast for the gentrified East. We learn that Cole Porter is blackmailed, as is Linda, and ends up in a wheelchair. He eventually has a leg amputated, which finally breaks the dandy side of his personality that age could not even dent.
  
  The performances are dreadful. Kevin Kline has never sounded or looked worse. He looks especially bad in the Special Features interviews. Ashley Judd looks great. But, she is only partly successful in convincing us she is a woman so in love with a man's talent, wit, charm and work, she doesn't need anything else. There is very little warmth projected between these two people throughout this movie, Yet, one scene, where the couple lose one another to Linda's death, was sad and feels genuine.
  
  This is a story that deserves to be told again. Linda marries Cole Porter fully aware he is homosexual. They share an intimacy that is soiled by the film's attempt to label it. Was it a friendship, a marriage, a partnership, a collaboration, a contract? Maybe all those things or none. But the relationship must have been beautiful and, above all, very human. Perhaps today, we just cannot accept a non-physical relationship between any combination of the two genders, without sticking a name on it. We've let sex overwhelm every other dimension that explains a relationship, at least on screen. Without it, we don't seem to know what to make of two people. Sad. Almost as sad as this movie.
  
  
  
• Dead on Arrival
  By A1J03J0HZ7KU5T on 2005-08-07
  The music of Cole Porter remains timeless, but his life story makes for less-than-compelling cinema, as evidenced by the mostly fictional "Night and Day" (1946). Unfortunately, director Irwin Winkler believed that young moviegoers would leap at the chance to see a Porter biography graced by contemporary vocalists such as Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morissette. For all his good intentions, Winkler should have left well enough alone. Instead, he made "De-Lovely" (2004) - the cinematic equivalent of rigor mortis. Despite sincere performances by Kevin Kline and Ashley Judd, the film never catches fire due to Winkler's incredibly flat direction, which sucks the life out of every Porter classic during its interminable two-hour length. There are better ways to honor Cole Porter's musical legacy. Avoiding "De-Lovely" is one of them.
  
  
• A romp thru an Era
  By A3VFZI1E41SJ9Q on 2007-01-07
  I am not sure one would have to have lived through the Cole Porter, Rogers & Hammerstein, Jerome Kern, Hoagy Carmichael era to fully appreciate this movie, but I DID and I DO. The use of Jonathon Pryce as Gabriel to shepherd the movie thru the story and all the songs was pure genius. It also allowed greater insight into Porter, the musical genius, and Porter, the man. I, for one, could not have asked for a more talented cast singing and acting some wonderfully witty and sometimes salacious lines. For me and many others, this is not just a DVD, but one to be played over and over. Kevin Kline becomes Cole Porter; Ashley Judd becomes his wife and his muse. An excellent choice of performers to bring Porter's life and music (as he wrote it) to life rounded out a wonderful movie. If you love Cole Porter, this one's for you; otherwise, forget it.
  
  
• Astounding.
  By A1M82Z8DQG4IMA on 2004-08-20
  "The sex wasn't all that great, but the intimacy is astounding." These are the words of Cole Porter (a bi-sexual who prefers men) played so aptly by Kevin Kline in De-Lovely. He is referring to his first intimate evening with his future wife - Linda, so well protrayed by the beautiful and captivating, Ashley Judd. These two make beautiful music together and dance out a wonderful love story.
  
  From the moment the movie began to the last zoom out portrait of the leads, who are shall we say, unusual lovers - I was astounded myself by: the story, the music, the scenery, the wit, the supporting cast(Jonathan Pryce is wonderful), and the way it all flowed together in a sometimes flawed but creative manner.
  
  Memories of the old flick, "Night and Day" in which Cole was played by Cary Grant and Linda by Alexis Smith(two of my favorite oldies and goodies) were fresh because we had rented that tape a month or so ago. I also remember when "Night and Day" was originally released in the forties and I went home to sing, "You're the Top" to my little pet dog. I can still see her dancing around with that little black tail a wagging.
  
  My heart was glad again this time around but in a very adult and sometimes poignant manner. In the first film I could never figure out why Cole and Linda separated, but this version makes it quite clear. It is a kind of relationship twist heart rendering and real.
  
  The musical numbers with and without professionals performing were excellent. It is hard to do Porter wrong unless you are very bad..His music just is.....GREAT. One of my favorite scenes was not a staged musical number at all, but takes place during a rehearsal when Porter helps a young singer get just the right nuance in his singing of "Night and Day." It builds and builds until it hits the part where...NIGHT and DAY is sung by the two of them. I felt lifted off my seat...so good and so intensely beautiful.
  
  When the credits roll at the end, many of the audience in our theater sat starring at the screen, listening intently to the voice of the real Cole Porter singing on a scratchy 1930's recording of..."You're the Top, you're Mahatma Gandhi, you're the top, you're Napoleon Brandy...." Those people who began to exit stopped once more to watch and listen. I said to my husband. "They don't want to leave." Neither did I.
  
  My son, who says he hates musicals, asked me, "What do ya think?" Without missing a beat I simply said, "De LOVELY!"
  
  
  
  
  
• De-Lovely is De-Lightful!
  By A2LRKJF29NOXPZ on 2004-11-05
  I saw this movie right after it came out and had to do some travelling to non-mainstream theatres, let me tell you. I could not take my eyes off of Kevin Kline. I loved the characterizations, the period costumes, the music, the staging, but most of all I loved Kevin Kline's performance. The only other contemporary musical/film that I would rate on par with this one is "Chicago." I believe this is a shoo-in Oscar nominating performance for Mr. Kline this year. I don't normally buy DVDs or videotapes of movies, but I have pre-registered for this one.
  
  
• De-Lovely Is Not So-Lovely
  By A19WRXQ7EG8QF5 on 2004-11-16
  This is not exactly a film dedicated to Cole Porter's fans.
  
  While the movie featured Cole's musical oeuvre in gusto (unstoppable cameo appearances by popular artists of this day), it focussed rather tiresomely of Cole's bisexuality and incessant philandering over the course of his married life until his famous riding accident. Ashley Judd was as usual a show-saver but then her role was merely supportive to Kevin Kline's half-baked portrayal of Cole Porter.
  
  For a glimpse of Cole's ingenuity at its best, check out "Kiss Me Kate" directed by George Sidney in 1953 for the MGM studios. This is possibly the most delightful silver screen rendition of Cole's best-loved musical, complete with truly show-stealing choreographed dance seqeunces sure to sweep you off your feet.
  
  
• Marvelous
  By A346TAHD2DF50W on 2004-11-21
  One of the best movies I have ever seen. Kevin Klein was perfect as CP,didn't look like him but that didn't matter.Ashley Judd was magnificent, her beauty was only enhanced with gorgeous clothes by Armani.Having been born and raised in Cole Porters home of Peru,Indiana, where he and Linda are buried,the story of his life is a familiar one to me. Loved the presentation of his musicand the fact that they didn't pretend he could sing. When it was over I wanted to go back in the theater and watch it again and again.
  
  
• Cole Porter's Life in Suitably Stylish Song, Dance & Drama.
  By A3UPYGJKZ0XTU4 on 2004-12-27
  "De-Lovely" is a biopic that plays tribute to its subject while it tells his story. It's the story of Jazz Age playboy and revered composer/lyricist Cole Porter. We first meet Porter (Kevin Kline) just before he dies, and watch as his adult life plays out before his eyes, like scenes in one of his musicals, directed by the angel (Jonathan Pryce) sent to claim him. It starts in Paris in 1919, where Porter met his wife, the beautiful divorcée Linda Lee (Ashley Judd), who would become his inspiration. It follows the couple to Venice, New York, Hollywood, and Massachusetts, over the course of their 35-year marriage, as Porter writes music, becomes the toast of a few towns, carries on dalliances with any number of men, is crippled by a riding accident in 1937, up until his death in 1964. "De-Lovely" is part musical and part love story, as it focuses on Porter's music and on his relationship with Linda, who was his life's great love in spite of his preference for men. This isn't really a character study, as we see of Porter only what is revealed through his professional and marital life.
  
  "De-Lovely" is stylish to put it mildly. I have to admire screenwriter Jay Cocks' imagination and director Irwin Winkler's coup in pulling it off. On top of having a bizarre narrative device in an angel/director guiding us through Cole Porter's life as it plays out on stage, "De-Lovely" is a musical where characters sometimes burst into song. Some of Cole Porter's songs are performed onstage by contemporary artists, such as Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morrisette, Elvis Costello, Vivian Green, Natalie Cole, Robbie Williams, and Diana Krall. Sometimes I found this distracting; sometimes not. But I was particularly -and surprisingly- impressed by Alanis Morrisette's rendition of "Let's Do It". At least 30 songs are performed in the film, although not all in their entirety. Kevin Kline reminds us that he's not just a great actor: He sings, dances, and plays the piano as Porter. Ashley Judd is radiant and full of life as Linda, whose marriage to Cole suffered more for his selfishness than his homosexuality. The conglomeration of good drama, musical production numbers, new arrangements of Porter's songs (by Stephen Endelman), a fantastical narrative device, and one lengthy continuous shot that involved numerous off-camera costume changes and ridiculously complex lighting demonstrates that "De-Lovely" is as much about style as substance. Occasionally, the stylistic devices trip over one another, and I think the film is 15 minutes too long. But it's creative and entertaining, and Cole Porter might even have approved.
  
  The DVD: Bonus features include 2 featurettes, 2 "Anatomy of a Scene" documentaries, 9 deleted scenes, a "De-Lovely Soundtrack TV Spot", a theatrical trailer, and 2 audio commentaries. "Making of De-Lovely" (25 minutes) addresses various aspects of the film including music and characters through interviews with director Irwin Winkler, representatives of The Cole Porter Trust, the film's cast and producers, and members of its creative team. It includes an interview with designer Giorgio Armani, who made the film's costumes. "Music of De-Lovely" (15 minutes) focuses on the performances of the contemporary artists in the film and includes interviews with Elvis Costello, Robbie Williams, Diana Krall, Alanis Morrisette, Natalie Cole, and Sheryl Crow. The 2 "Anatomy of a Scene" documentaries analyze the "Be a Clown" production number (5 minutes) and the "Love For Sale" continuous nightclub shot (3 minutes), which is quite remarkable. The first audio commentary is by director Irwin Winkler and Kevin Kline. It concentrates on Kline's experiences while filming, with Winkler filling in some info for scenes that don't involve Kline as well as explaining the choices he made in telling the story. The second audio commentary is by Irwin Winkler and screenwriter Jay Cocks. This is more about characters and themes and includes some additional information about Porter and his contemporaries. Subtitles are available in English, French, and Spanish. Dubbing available in French and Spanish.
  
  
• So Poignant
  By AQ81HZS5XRNPL on 2005-01-06
  Since I first saw it in the theater, De-Lovely has grown on me. When I first saw it I might have given it only 2, maybe 3 stars. I was dissatisfied mainly by the placement of a few musical numbers, namely "Be A Clown" and "Blow Gabriel Blow". Granted, they both served a purpose in the narrative, but seemed completely out of place and strangely staged when I viewed the film. On the DVD, I plan to skip past them. What also displeased me was the way many numbers seemed unnatural in the contrived way in which they were placed in the film. During "Swell Party", the partygoing chorus looks completely unnatural singing a song together, they seem uncomfortable. I couldn't relax and get into what was onscreen, and any instance during which a viewer is removed from the action onscreen is dangerous because they might have a hard time getting back into it. What brought me back, though, were the numbers performed by today's artists such as Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Alanis Morisette. I didn't think I'd like Alanis as much as I did, but she was charming. And Costello blew me away, as did Crow. Using modern performers to add a new dimension to the music was a stroke of genius.
  The heart of this film is the characters, the story, and the beautiful love songs of Cole Porter. Ashley Judd is perfect as Linda Lee Porter, who pretends to not care that her husband can never love her as she loves him, never be a real husband to her. Yet it's so clear she she suffers inside as time goes on. Watch her face when, during a small party, a guest at the Porter household asks Cole what served as inspiration for a new song he just played. She wants so badly for the answer to be "My wife" and is visibly crushed when she doesn't hear it, yet only the audience is aware of this, as she quickly puts on a happy face to her guests. Another example of her longing is her simple, touching rendition of "True Love", during which it becomes evident to Cole that she wants a child as he sees her loving interaction with the daughter of their close friends. Not only is she breathtakingly beautiful, she is breathtakingly real and so vulnerable even as she pretends to not be hurt by Cole's being unable to love her as a woman.
  Kevin Kline takes so many risks in this film, as Porter is portrayed as being at times selfish, overly self-indulgent, and absorbed in his own talent. But what talent he had. It is said that Irving Berlin would marvel at Porter's ability to whip up a tune seemingly out of nowhere, when he would labor over a tune for ages. What this film does very well is walk the tightrope between showcasing Porter's undeniable genius and exposing him as being merely human. Many biopics tend to idealize their subject, especially if the subject has such mythical stature as Porter. This movie does not go that route, and that's a good thing.
  Yet this is still a love story, as it is clear that Cole loves Linda more deeply and with more feeling than anyone else in his life. When, at the end of the movie, we are taken back to the two of them softly singing "In The Still Of The Night", we are reminded that at the end of the day, he always came back to her for the kind of love he really needed, the type which transcends the physical. "Poignant" is the only word that comes to mind.
  Also, the palette against which this story plays is gorgeous, stylish and sumptuous. The costumes, sets and surroundings are wonderful to look at and beautifully compliment the film's action.
  
  
  

• De-Lovely
• Beyond the Sea
• It's De Lovely - The Authentic Cole Porter Collection
• Night and Day
• The Very Best of Cole Porter