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List Price: $28.96 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 5266
Released: September 15, 2009 |
| Our Price: $13.88 |
| Used Price: $3.30 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Jessica Biel, Colin Firth, Kristin Scott Thomas and Ben Barnes bring Noël Coward's witty comedy of manners magnificently to life in this "deliciously cheeky" (Ella Taylor, The Village Voice) adaptation from director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). When British playboy John brings his new wife Larita - a race car-driving feminist from Detroit - home to meet the family at their country estate, pretty much everyone's expectations are disappointed. His snooty mother is offended by Larita's carefree American ways, while Larita does everything she can to get her mother-in-law to loosen up, which only annoys her even more. John's sisters have diametrically opposed feelings about their new sister-in-law, but his father is intrigued to have finally found another who sees through the family's façade - and takes great perverse pleasure in watching his wife meet her match.
Description of Easy Virtue:
A lighthearted adaptation of a Noel Coward play set in the late 1920s, Easy Virtue stars Jessica Biel as Larita, an adventurous American who marries John, the naive, British heir (Ben Barnes) to a crumbling family estate. Whisked into the less-than-receptive bosom of John's kin, Larita soon finds herself drawing the scorn of her mother-in-law (Kristin Scott Thomas), who would have preferred John marry a longtime sweetheart from his own genteel community rather than a brash Yankee. Eager to move to London, Larita knows the longer a post-honeymoon John visits his family the harder it will be for the newlyweds to live on their own terms, and she's right. Giving up on any notion of fitting in, Larita suffers a few embarrassments before fighting back. But nothing can help her once a past scandal encroaches on her dream of happiness.
Co-writer and director Stephan Elliott (The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert) keeps everything breezy and fun, though the clashes between Larita and her malicious mother-in-law are keenly felt. Elliott's period sensibility is very strong, not least of all his appreciation of John's father (Colin Firth), a restless intellectual and member of the so-called Lost Generation of World War I veterans. Firth's performance as a man distanced from his family's preoccupations and material woes is a real highlight of Easy Virtue. When he dances a tango, late in the story, one can see years of repressed desire erupt in him. --Tom Keogh
Stills from Easy Virtue (Click for larger image)
Easy Virtue Reviews:
That Mother! But, Oh Colin Firth... 
2009-12-08 - I have to totally agree with the veiwer Z.Hayes from TX. The only reason I wanted to to see this movie was to see my favorite actor Colin Firth,he has always manage to turned my head. But,that family or shall I say that mother Veronica (Kristin Scott Thomas)and the two daughters never gave Larita(Jessica Biel)a chance. "Oh she's American" well that did it for me! Look at the mothers charater,not vey attractive at all. What a snob. This is a very dysfunctional family in every way. Jim(Colin Firth)gave Larita a chance from the very beginning along with the family of Lord Hurst. And what made John(Ben Barnes)think he could handle a women like Larita a older women who is very alive and attractive. Everytime his mother and sisters made negative cracks at his wife he falled to step up to the plate his father had to give him a nudge before he came to her rescue. But,the final scene was The dance of the Tango,HOT!very sensual and romantic indeed. I am glad Jim found love again. I loved this movie,and I most say the performance of all characters did a excellent job.
Witty and entertaining! 
2009-12-02 - "Easy Virtue" was quite a surprise to me - a pleasant one that is. I'm not really a fan of Jessica Biel, but I have to say I was impressed by her performance in this scathing portrait of British upper class society in the early 20th century. The story itself is based on Noel Coward's play, and the great ensemble cast make this an immensely entertaining watch. A young upper-class Brit, Johnny "Panda" Whitaker is smitten with a beguiling and bold young American racer, Larita (Jessica Biel) and marries her, much to the horror and dismay of conniving and manipulative mother, Veronica (a dressed-down and frumpy Kristen Scott Thomas). Johnny returns with his new bride to his family estate in the English countryside, and the stage is set for a battle of wills between the easy-going yet defiant Larita and the mother-in-law from hell, Veronica. Colin Firth (yes, I admit he was the primary reason I watched this) plays Johnny's dad, a lonely and dishevelled WW I vet who literally had to be dragged away from a bordello in France at the end of the war to fulfill his fatherly duties to his family. Yet his character is the one I sympathized with the most given his wife's monstrous behavior and utter callousness towards him, as well as her manipulative machinations towards the rest of her family, which includes two unlikeable and malicious daughters. Larita too elicits the viewer's sympathy as she is forced to put up with the conservative worldview of her in-laws and their constant put-downs.
The movie is well-paced, with witty dialogue and I loved the easy camaraderie between some of the characters, especially between Larita and Johnny's father, Jim, who are drawn to each other partly through their mutual suffering at the hands of Veronica. There is a magnificent tango scene towards the end which showcases not only Biel's fabulous body but also cements the close bond shared between Jim and Larita, two souls who yearn to be free of conventions and traditions. At times light-hearted, this is a compelling and scathing portrait of the British upper class way of life -snooty, cliquish and boorish. Larita as portrayed so convincingly by Biel, provides a much needed breath of fresh air in that exalted yet suffocating atmosphere. Recommended!
Magnificent movie
2009-11-19 - This is one of only two movies that I just had to watch two days in a row. Jessica Biel's character, Larita, has a captivating personality and Jessica plays it to perfection. Colin Firth was reported to say before the movie was shot, on [...], that Larita was going to steal the show. Naturally, Colin Firth and Kristen Scott Thomas played their parts marvelously but it was Larita that makes the film great. Kudos therefore to the screenwriters. My only regret was that Kristen Scott Thomas' character, Mrs. Whittaker, was not developed more and softened a bit; her bitter and irascible behavior came across as caricature. How wonderful would it have been to watch Larita and Mrs. Whittaker dueling in even more developed dialogue?
Easy Virtue
2009-11-12 - Any movie with Colin Firth, is a winner for me....the additional cast members are also a helping hand to this Noel Coward adaption, the English countryside, the era, costumes, droll humor----the most Positive is the "Tango"!!!!!!!! between Colin & Jessica Biel------WOW
loved it!
2009-11-10 - My husband and I loved this movie. Good one-liners and we like british humor. Jessica Biel was wonderful and refreshing. I could relate to her in the movie. I have a manipulative mother-in-law myself.
