Mixed Feelings. This is an odd film that both allures and repels. Kevin Kline Plays songwriter Cole Porter. He's sharp, clever, talented, intelligent, life-loving and bi-sexual. Into his life walks, Linda (Ashley Judd) equally refined, matchingly charming and strong. With all the cards on the table, Linda and Cole wed despite the complication of Cole's male affairs. As Cole says (in this film) the relationship with Linda was all about intimacy, the sex was "take it or leave it." And as far as the film goes, it's all about intimacy too. Though it's a musical, the music is rather "take it or leave it." Unfortunately, while sweet to hear Kline and Judd sing, they won't make any charts. The best music moments go to Lemar, Elvis Costello and Vivian Green, despite more contemporary big name singers. A very well placed moment with Natalie Cole also plays well.
The story is told as a "directed" memory of a late-in-life Porter. He sits in an empty theater with an imagined director and together they put together a musical of his life. This makes for some warm-hearted reflection. Most of which seems to be analyzing the idea of true love. "Is that when you loved her?" the imagined director prods the aged Porter as they watched the production. "Is that true love -- just then?" While Porter smiles nostalgically at his past with Linda, remembering it all very fondly, he still can't quite chalk it up to true love. Such it seems (by the film) was Linda's frustration with the relationship she'd knowingly bonded. While allowing Porter his nightly affairs, Linda pushed him along his track to success. The film never really defines that push as selfless or selfish, undoubtedly a little of both.
Though many of the lines in the film are pretentiously clever, one sums it up well. Porter reflects, "She picked me up and restored me. And in return ... I gave her me. Hardly payment in kind."
Early on, the audio falls heavy on the bass end, making dialogue difficult to hear. Successfully intimate, underwhelming (for the most part) musically, at times as difficult as their relationship, the film also has a very sweet sense to it, a realness and a raw, yet subtle appreciation for life. I'm left with mixed feelings.
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