Her energy is infectious.ĭespite its period trappings, Stillman’s film never feels stilted, largely thanks to his bracingly modern heroine who takes no prisoners, and makes no apologies for her conniving behavior. You can’t help but love Lady Susan because of the evident joy she takes in being so duplicitous. Still, it’s a joy to see the two paired together again for an onscreen reunion, 18 years in the making.īeckinsale is a hoot to watch as a character with no redeemable qualities, except for her cunning ability to get what she wants. Sevigny, who last played opposite Beckinsale in The Last Days of Disco, is afforded a smaller role than she had in that now-classic comedy. Well, While Many Romantic Movies Have A Happy Ending, Sometimes The Best Of The Best Are The Sad Romance Movies That Put You On An Emotional Rollercoaster And Make You Cry Through The Love Story. Lady Susan’s only trusted confidante throughout this is her close American friend, Alicia Johnson (Chloë Sevigny), in whom she confides all her plans. Sensing that Frederica’s presence might pose a threat to her wooing of Reginald, the ever-scheming Lady Susan arranges for her daughter to be courted by Sir James Martin (a scene-stealing Tom Bennett), an older man who can’t appear to keep his mouth shut (he’s described as “a bit of a rattle” by Catherine).Ĭhloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale in Love & Friendship Photograph: PR/Sundance Film Festival Her plans are thwarted, however, by the surprise arrival of her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark), a timid girl who’s just run away from school. Kate Beckinsale, who he previously directed in The Last Days of Disco, effortlessly leads the film as Lady Susan Vernon, a beautiful and conniving widow: her sister-in-law, Mrs Catherine Vernon (Emma Greenwall), refers to her as a “genius of the evil kind” and “a serpent in Eden’s garden”.Īt the outset of the story, Lady Susan takes up temporary residence at her in-laws’ grand countryside estate in Churchill, with the intention of securing her financial future by marring Catherine’s handsome younger brother, Reginald De Courcy (Xavier Samuel).
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