REVIEW: Easy Virtue (PG)

The famous Ealing Studios has had a revival of sorts recently. A need for British film to have its own identity (beyond costume dramas) has meant the world’s oldest studio has looked back to some of its old hits for inspiration. Unfortunately, the first result of this was the so-so St. Trinian’s, which made a star (and Bond girl) of Gemma Arterton, but did little for the studios’ revival. This year they turn to the director of Priscilla, Queen of The Desert, Stephan Elliot, to bring a modern twist to Noel Coward’s play Easy Virtue.

The serene, stuffy existence of the Whitakker family - led by a very uptight mother (Kristin Scott Thomas) - is rocked when their philandering son John (Ben Barnes) brings home a brash, flamboyant American woman (Jessica Biel). Cultures clash as the wild child foreigner rallies against the formal conventions of the Whitakker’s existence, and the upheaval unearths some dark truths about all involved, not least John’s brooding drifter father (Colin Firth), who barely speaks to his wife and spends most of his day working on his broken motorbike.

In some respects, a lot of the work has already been done for Elliot & co. The script is as witty and brilliant as you would imagine a Noel Coward play to be. The story is also a very engaging farce. If you want a modern parallel, try thinking of a 20’s Meet The Parents. Attempts to provide nods to contemporary culture - such as Coward-esque versions of Tom Jones’ Sexbomb and disco tune Carwash in the soundtrack - come off as a little bit gimmicky, but not so much that it distracts from the comedy and verbal jousting.

What makes this an above average comedy, and not a simply another adaptation, is the choice of cast. Ben Barnes is UK cinema's bright young thing after Prince Caspian and makes a good fist of the young cad, especially armed with such intelligent dialogue. Kristin Scott Thomas plays the same uptight English woman she’s been playing for ten years, and flits between funny and annoying frequently. Jessica Biel plays a role clearly meant for an older woman (not ancient, but perhaps someone in the age range of Catherine Zeta Jones), therefore some of the scandal of her and Barnes marrying is lost. Nevertheless, she is a solid actress who, whilst not stealing the show, is capable of carrying it. The standout is Firth, playing the embittered ex-soldier loafing around the house, unshaven and critical of all the pomp & circumstance. He provides some of the movies best scenes, whilst giving it a depth it would have sorely lacked had he not been there.

Younger crowds may be lost here, but it has enough verbal barbs, slapstick and heart to make it worth following the quick-fire dialogue. Elliot’s mixture of old and new means this isn’t another stuffy costume drama, rather a comedy which happens to be set in the 20’s. Not exactly a return to the Ealing comedies of old, but enough fun to be enjoyed by audiences of all ages.

Easy Virtue is out November 7.