Robinson angle) so maybe think Jane Austen with a hefty dollop of Henry James ……. In fact Beckinsale’s performance here is nothing short of mesmerizing and you can’t wait to see what she will say or do next !……But anyone deciding to see the film should go prepared for a more sombre Jane Austen story than usual (the Nancy Reagan/Mrs. Even more good news here is that both Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny who star here also starred in “The Last Days of Disco” and each instinctively understands “the Stillman universe”. Whit Stillman is an extremely interesting filmmaker and his films “Metropolitan” and “The Last Days of Disco” are two of the most original American films of recent memory. are done so rapidly as to be meaningless as information and (more grievous artistically) don’t really work as parody because they’re out of place with the very traditional and very solid narrative that follows. However, these shots which are intended as a sort of parody of early silent movies. (The early lapses consist of a few “goofy” shots in which we are rapidly shown the names and faces of a dozen or so characters in the story. The film has a few momentary missteps and unfortunately these come in first five minutes and can have the effect of setting off considerable alarm bells……Happily this lapse in creative judgment is momentary and film quickly finds its own rhythm and soon moves from strength to strength. Robinson in “The Graduate” meets Nancy Reagan on a Bad Hair day and you are on the right track….In fact all of “Love and Friendship” feels VERY CONTEMPORARY and can be seen as a political metaphor for the emergence of today’s neoliberal social and economic environment complete with 1%-Push Coming Austerity-Shove !….In a world in which the Looking-Out-for- Number-One lifestyle has become the order of the day and successfully implanted into our DNA, Kate Beckinsale’s sociopathic Lady Susan could easily be running for political office on a “Let them eat cake” ticket. But begin by thinking Anne Bancroft’s Mrs. Beckinsale’s inspired, in fact jaw-dropping performance here as a sort of wayward 18th century Soccer Mom run amok and gone dangerously to seed is a challenge to describe in mere words. Kate Beckinsale, the delightful star of the film, and director Whit Stillman succeed so brilliantly in concocting their sardonic vision of 18th century English society that in many ways the result invites comparison with Alexander MacKendrick’s great and scathing 1957 muck-raking classic “Sweet Smell of Success”. have observed) it can do the most damage. The film is a kind of horror story in which all the horror is just below the surface where (as Freud and Jung etc. This film works so well because it’s a kind of cautionary tale about toxic agendas and the people who become “possessed” by them. Overall, Love & Friendship is a true wonder of a film that will go down as one of the funniest films of 2016. Completely deadpan with great delivery and timing, Beckinsale sweeps you off your feet with fantastic delivery of Stillman's witty and subtly brilliant dialogue. In terms of the acting, Kate Beckinsale is a comedic wonder in this film. Featuring good cinematography and incredible production/costume design, Love & Friendship's look an feel is as lush, extravagant, and gorgeous, as required of a period piece. Incredibly well-written, this very large cast of characters are all handled very well during this short 90 minute film with all of their subplots being expertly handled by Stillman's sure hand. This film really portrays the upper class as being incredibly uppity, insipid, and stupid, in the most hysterical ways possible. Outlandish and truly hysterical, Love & Friendship touches on themes such as marriage, love, religion, and, as with all Stillman films, the bourgeoisie. As whitty, subtle, sharp, and smart, as ever, Stillman expertly brings Jane Austen's work to life in this fantastically funny film. Outlandish and truly hysterical, Love & Friendship touches on themes such as marriage, Love & Friendship is a truly brilliant film from director Whit Stillman. Love & Friendship is a truly brilliant film from director Whit Stillman.