Love & Friendship Movie Review

Reviewed by Lynn Barker on May 13, 2016

Rating:

Kidzworld saw the funny yet classy movie Love & Friendship about a flirty and scheming 18th Century woman you can’t help but love. Check out our movie review.

By: Lynn Barker

Although Love & Friendship is set in the 18^th century, it is totally relevant today. Ever deal with one of those “In-crowd” mean girls? Maybe everybody talks about her but she is mega-popular even though she manipulates everyone around her and gossips behind their backs. She’ll go after your boyfriend, she’ll be friendly then dump you yet, she is so pretty and witty and magnetic that you kinda love/hate her? Well, that is Kate Beckinsale’s character Lady Susan.

Susan's arrival at the estate

The Plan

With everybody for miles talking about her flirtations, recently widowed Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale) rushes to her country in-laws estate to escape. While staying there, Lady Susan decides to find herself and her teen daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark), a husband. How about the dim and bombastic Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett) for Frederica and, hummm, sister-in-law’s hot bro Reginald DeCourcy, a younger man, played by Xavier Samuel might work for her.

Goofy Sir James

More Gossip

Whoops, Frederica is also attracted to DeCourcy and she certainly doesn’t want to marry clueless Sir James who has the hots for her! With American bestie Alicia (Chloë Sevigny) cheering her on, Susan uses seduction, deception resulting in broken hearts, a surprise pregnancy and gossip to get what she wants. Will that be DeCourcy or…someone else?

DeCourcy (right) can't believe what he hears

Love & Friendship Trailer

Wrapping Up

Love & Friendship based on a short Jane Austen novella she wrote before “Pride and Prejudice” is witty, funny and entertaining, just like its heroine Lady Susan, played perfectly by Underworld’s Kate Beckinsale. We all know somebody like Susan who is able to make anybody do anything just with sex appeal and manipulation. Kate has a ton of fun dialogue and she’s amazing at delivering it. The character is really an anti-hero. You know she is self-centered but she’s just so darn interesting.

Alicia and Susan look forward to scheming

Stealing the movie for humor alone though is Tom Bennett as the daffy Sir James whose clueless statements just dumfound everyone around him. There are a lot of characters in the film to keep track of and their relationships may confuse some audience members.

Secret notes and manipulations

The film is not for kids but older teens who can get a kick out of funny dialogue and devious “mean girl” manipulations should enjoy it. We go four stars.