Mr. Movie: Kate Beckinsale has a blast in ‘Love & Friendship’

Kate Beckinsale (the Underworld movies) is Lady Susan Vernon, a scheming, manipulative, socially upperclass widow who’s flat broke. Or as she tells her daughter, permanent guests of wealthy family members or friends. As the film picks up, Susan has been outed for scandalous behavior and is hiding at her late husband’s sister’s husband’s estate. She is also trying to marry her daughter off to a wealthy but not-so-bright man. At the same time, she picks up with the brother of the sister.

The most fun in the plot is Susan and her best friend. They never stop scheming.

Finally someone has made a film from a Jane Austen book that isn’t sleep inducing. One explanation might be that it was written when Austen was a kid and before she became famous. Young people have a much more fun view of the world — even in the mid-1790s — than adults.

Whit Stillman (The Last Days of Disco) adapted Austen’s novella Lady Susan for the screen. It was published after her death. He has as much fun with it as Austen must have when putting pen to paper. And it gives the usually not-so-interesting Beckinsale a chance to really shine. Great dialogue and a brilliant premise can do that.

This one is flat-out funny from beginning to end and shows Austen was human after all.

This story was originally published June 2, 2016 at 1:00 PM with the headline "Mr. Movie: Kate Beckinsale has a blast in ‘Love & Friendship’."