This was one of the most disappointing movies of 2004. The two main things wrong with this movie are as follows: the screenplay is NOT true to Cole Porter's life story, and some of the vocal and musical performances are truly terrible.
Cole Porter was homosexual. Yes, we are aware that, for a huge bulk of his adult life, he was married. To a woman. The film "De-Lovely" attempts to make out the married life of Cole and Linda Lee Porter as if this were some classic Hollywood love story. The whole POINT of their marriage, was that it was a platonic marriage of convenience. Linda Lee had escaped and divorced her physically abusive husband, which was major scandal territory in the 1910's, and married Cole with the sole intention of escaping her murderous, and physically violent ex-spouse. Linda Lee was nine years OLDER than Cole. In the film, Ashley Judd appears to be at least thirty years YOUNGER than Kevin Kline, and the entire film makes out their marriage to be some never-ending romance in the fading sunset. This WASN'T the case! This wasn't the true story! "De-Lovely" makes Cole Porter out to be bi-sexual, which he wasn't. Linda Lee, in real life, was probably fully aware of her second husband's sexual extra-marital entourages, and in real life, she probably couldn't have cared less. In the 1910's and 1920's, this marriage of convenience meant a new life to Linda Lee, and that was the extent of it.
Apart from Natalie Cole and Robbie Williams, the majority of the musical performances are dreadful. Natalie Cole sings a lovely rendition of "Every Time We Say Goodbye," and Robbie Williams likewise sings a fine noteworthy performance of the title song, "De-Lovely," but the rest of the singers are anywhere from barely tolerable to truly dreadful.
My advice is - check the soundtrack out from the public library. This flick is for die-hard Kevin Kline fans only.
Cole Porter was homosexual. Yes, we are aware that, for a huge bulk of his adult life, he was married. To a woman. The film "De-Lovely" attempts to make out the married life of Cole and Linda Lee Porter as if this were some classic Hollywood love story. The whole POINT of their marriage, was that it was a platonic marriage of convenience. Linda Lee had escaped and divorced her physically abusive husband, which was major scandal territory in the 1910's, and married Cole with the sole intention of escaping her murderous, and physically violent ex-spouse. Linda Lee was nine years OLDER than Cole. In the film, Ashley Judd appears to be at least thirty years YOUNGER than Kevin Kline, and the entire film makes out their marriage to be some never-ending romance in the fading sunset. This WASN'T the case! This wasn't the true story! "De-Lovely" makes Cole Porter out to be bi-sexual, which he wasn't. Linda Lee, in real life, was probably fully aware of her second husband's sexual extra-marital entourages, and in real life, she probably couldn't have cared less. In the 1910's and 1920's, this marriage of convenience meant a new life to Linda Lee, and that was the extent of it.
Apart from Natalie Cole and Robbie Williams, the majority of the musical performances are dreadful. Natalie Cole sings a lovely rendition of "Every Time We Say Goodbye," and Robbie Williams likewise sings a fine noteworthy performance of the title song, "De-Lovely," but the rest of the singers are anywhere from barely tolerable to truly dreadful.
My advice is - check the soundtrack out from the public library. This flick is for die-hard Kevin Kline fans only.