The passing of time not only is relentless, but it also has the humbling historical effect of reducing if not altogether obliterating fame. In a hundred years or so, the likes of Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson, one can only hope William Hung and any number of other celebrities will likely be little more than a footnote, if that. Few will be able to say who they are or link them to any of their accomplishments that, in this case, are songs.
If you don't think that's true, ask one hundred people who Cole Porter is or have them name one of his songs. If you're a fan of the songwriter or are older than 50, you might know of him and his work, but everyone else will likely be at a loss. That said, I'm not sure that "De-Lovely" will introduce -- or is that reintroduce -- the figure to the masses, or whether it will appease his fans.
An imaginatively staged if skimpy and eventually far too somber and slow of a look at the man responsible for hits such as "Night and Day," "Let's Fall in Love" and the title ditty, the film isn't your standard biopic. Instead, it's a rather cursory bit of cinematic homage from director Irwin Winkler to the late songwriter (who died in 1964).
For the first half or so, however, it's rather entertaining if just for rolling out those hits and others. While I knew some of his work, there were songs I was surprised Porter was behind, and that's part of the fun of the film. Of course, some of that will depend on your view of a number of performers from today and yesterday belting out his tunes onscreen.
From a marketing standpoint, it's a brilliant move as many of today's younger buyers wouldn't touch a generic Cole Porter soundtrack, but might get this one to hear the likes of Robbie Williams, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow, Alanis Morissette and others singing the standards.
But using them in the movie is another matter. Winkler unwisely decides to focus too much attention on the guest singers for far too long, turning the musical cameos into a distracting game of "guess the singer." Their appearances do little to advance the already meager story but instead bring a certain contemporary aura to this decidedly period piece.
Of course, it isn't like this is a straightforward A to Z biography. Winkler ("Life as a House," "At First Sight"), working from a script by Jay Cocks ("Gangs of New York," "The Age of Innocence"), frames the various "look back" flashback scenes of Porter's earlier days with a rather clunky storytelling device. As we see Porter in his last and presumably dieing days, he's given a recap of his life by "Gabe" -- Jonathan Price ("Pirates of the Caribbean," "What a Girl Wants") -- who we're supposed to assume is the angel Gabriel.
The "contemporary" scenes do nothing for the film as they add zilch in terms of anything insightful or interesting about the man. They do fit in, however, with Winkler's overall ploy of giving the film the look and feel of a theatrical presentation, what with that dual staging (of Gabe and old Cole watching a younger version of himself), various theater-type lighting effects and more.
I just wish as much effort went into the story and examination of the songwriter's life as was obviously put into staging such theatrics and the various musical numbers. Speaking of which and regardless of how you feel about the contemporary performers singing Porter's work, the songs do keep the entertainment value fairly high, particularly in the first half. While some are a bit goofy -- such as Porter shuffling along with MGM head honcho Louis B. Mayer to "Be a Clown" on the back lot -- others withstand the artistic license the filmmakers have taken with them.
In the film's second half, however, the tone changes and the pacing slows dramatically, neither of which benefits the offering. Of course, Porter's life took a similar turn for the worse and his experiences -- both good and bad -- were truly reflected in his songs.
If anything, the film excels from a technical standpoint with great production values and splendid period costumes. I can only imagine that the latter will be remembered come awards season time. As might Kevin Kline ("The Emperor's Club," "Life as a House") who embodies Porter through the ages from young to old (with the help of makeup and/or prosthetics). While I have no idea if he's successful at or even tries to emulate Porter's mannerisms or way of delivering his witty lines (no makeup in the early years was used to try to make him match Cole's face), Kline made me feel as if I was watching the real deal.
Unfortunately, we're given little in the way of material regarding what made him tick from a professional or personal standpoint. The same holds true of the wife character embodied by Ashley Judd ("Twisted," "High Crimes"). While it's nice to see her once again without a gun or being put in some sort of peril, her character is mostly an empty vessel. That's not the actress' fault, but rather that of the insufficient script. What made her stay with Cole amidst his various love affairs with other men is a question many will ask, but it's never answered.
While there are things to recommend about the film -- Kline's performance, the technical offerings and, of course, the songs -- this really isn't much of a cinematic biography or even just a good celebration of the man's life and work. Intermittently entertaining, "De-Lovely" rates as just a 5 out of 10.
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