The pitch for this casting must have been interesting. Especially in the past few years, Jessica Biel has been cast in nothing but slapstick and froth, and seeing her name alongside long running professionals like Colin Firth and Kristen Scott Thomas is surprising at the least. Even more surprising is the fact that she comes out none the worse for the comparison. Both of these seasoned actors and the disarmingly talented Ben Barnes set her up beautifully, and the chemistry is fantastic.
Breathing Life into a Tired Premise
Perhaps taking the shockingly inappropriate choice of a hasty marriage home to meet the folks is not the newest idea, and neither is the subversive (and hilarious) cat fight. But Easy Virtue manages to make the whole thing seem fresh, partly due to its reliance on wit rather than Ben Stiller and partly due to the stylized, stage feel to the whole thing. The film is an adaptation of Noel Coward’s play, and the feel of theatre is never far from it.
It’s set in the thirties and one is never clear which is better – Biel’s outrageously fun wardrobe, or the delightful music throughout. Both Biel and Barnes sing possess excellent voices, and the songs are a huge contributor to the charming feel of the movie.
Both Unlikely Couples
The romance between Larita (Biel) and John (Barnes) is immediately, from the opening sequence of the movie, light and clearly not to be taken seriously. This is evident to everyone except for John, whose simultaneous naiveté and complete sincerity are nothing but endearing, even for Larita. This balance is a credit to Barnes’ ability to nuance, since this character could have easily been tiresome. When Biel inevitably leaves him the moment is oddly sweet and she manages it entirely without cruelty.
Her choices near the end of the film leave her in an even more unlikely match, and one can bet that Colin Firth never guessed he’d be playing the love interest of Jessica Biel. Somehow the graceful storytelling manages to tie all of these things together and make them seem like hardly less than fate. Though many of the romantic elements have been turned upside down by the end credits, it comes off as a happy ending, which is quite a feat. Fans of love stories will not be disappointed.
Honorable Mention – Kris Marshall
The adorable Kris Marshall of Love Actually and Death at a Funeral fame appears as Furber, the wise and quite sarcastic butler. He is not given a great deal of lines but when he appears, he is reliably odd and amusing.
