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"I wanted every kind of love available," says Cole Porter, reviewing his life as an old man. "I could never find them in the same person... or the same sex." This statement is the core of "De-Lovely," the portrait of Porter from young to old in both his music and his relationships with his heterosexual wife and his homosexual lovers. Kevin Kline is well cast as Porter because as an actor, despite a slim physical resemblance, he exudes a natural joie de vivre that is the essence of this subject. The movie's tempo is uneven and the story feels long, but with over a dozen set pieces of Porter's music, "De-Lovely" is an involving biopic of one of America's great songwriters.

I've known the name Cole Porter for some time, and maybe could name a song or two, but was ignorant about his life other than that he was a contemporary to Irving Berlin and George Gershwin. The story here picks up with Porter in post-WWI Paris, attending parties and casually entertaining his well-to-do friends at the piano. Here he meets divorcee socialite Linda Thomas, played by Ashley Judd. Linda is elegant, sophisticated (and even slips under the covers while wearing her jewelry). Cole is fascinated by her and pursues her. Together they are a wonderfully appropriate couple, sharing a love for Cole's musical talent and clever ribbing of the decadent circles they entertain. They marry, fully realizing that Cole is gay. He is free to indulge himself in the nights as long as she has his companionship during the days.

They live in Paris and Vienna before Porter is encouraged to step into the limelight by moving to New York for his first stage musical, "Paris." New York suits them well for a while before Porter is tempted by Hollywood. Here Linda finds the intellect of the party crowd subpar, and Cole accepts the commercial benefits at the expense of writing commercial-quality songs, not the clever work he enjoyed in New York. (He mocks the industry with the set piece, "Be a Clown"). But he enjoys the availability of men even more, to the point that Linda becomes concerned for his notoriety and for their relationship. To make matters worse, Linda suffers a miscarriage on a badly-wanted child, Cole suffers the debilitating destruction of his legs in a horse-riding accident, and Linda develops lung cancer from her nonstop smoking habit. The final third of the movie is a world away from the joys of their early years, full of disappointment and self-loathing. But just as you think enough is enough, the movie ends with a sweetly touching image that brings us back to the love and devotion between Linda and Cole. This is really a love story wrapped in a music box.

While we do sense a genuine love between the two characters, Cole's nearly scatterbrained search for sensual gratification pushes the relationship into a one-way street connection, with Linda constantly trying to give Cole focus. The most intimate moment of the film really develops between Cole and a male stage actor as Cole coaches him by singing a duet of "Night and Day." The main problem of the film is its narration via flashback, told the same way as 1992s "Chaplin" (which was done less obtrusively): The movie actually starts with an elderly Cole being walked through a stage production of his life by, biographer/producer Jonathan Pryce ("Pirates of the Caribbean," Infiniti's tv ads). Scenes begin on a stage in front of the two, then meld into real-time with the young version of Kline's Porter. But later the stage becomes a screen, and then more vague, like a memory... Unfortunately each time these reminisces cut into the movie they disrupt the story and the movie's flow. These scenes could have been left out without impacting the telling of the story, and omitting them would have probably kept audiences from becoming restless in their seats by the time the third act begins.

The highlight for many moviegoers will be the large selection of Porter's music, performed by well-known singers: Kline sings "Easy to Love," "What is This Thing Called Love?," "Be a Clown," "Experiment," a partial duet of "Night and Day" with John Barrowman, "Blow, Gabriel, Blow" with Pryce, and "In the Still of the Night" with Judd; Judd sings "True Love"; Robbie Williams sings "It's De-Lovely" in Cole & Linda's wedding sequence; Elvis Costello sings "Let's Misbehave"; Alanis Morissette sings "Let's Do It, Let's Fall in Love"; Sheryl Crow sings "Begin the Beguine"; Mick Hucknall sings "I Love You" for a Hollywood movie scene; Diana Krall sings "Just One of Those Things"; Vivian Green sings "Love for Sale"; Caroline O'Connor sings "Anything Goes"; Lara Fabian and Mario Frangoulis both do "So In Love"; and Natalie Cole sings "Evry Time We Say Goodbye." Notable Porter tunes not used in the film are "I Love Paris," "I Get a Kick Out of You," and the Oscar nominated "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Since I Kissed My Baby Goodbye," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To."

Porter's life was portrayed on film in 1946 by Cary Grant in "Night and Day" with Alexis Smith as his wife. That movie presented a much rosier picture of Porter's relationships and experiences, a point which is commented on by Kline and Judd in "De-Lovely."

Kline, Judd, and their surroundings all look great in the 1920s and 30s style. There are plenty of of Oscar possibilities here: Director Irwin Winkler has produced a number of Best Picture nominees. He directed Kline (who has a Best Supporting Oscar for "A Fish Called Wanda) in 2001's "Life As a House." Writer Jay Cocks has been nominated for "The Age of Innocence" and "Gangs of New York." Cinematographer Tony Pierce-Roberts has been nominated twice, for his work on "Howard's End" and "A Room With a View." Set decorator John Bush was nominated for the Gilbert & Sullivan based "Topsy Turvy," and costume designer Janty Yates won for "Gladiator." However, the disruptive narration and inconsistent pace on top of a release date far from Oscar season may put this movie out of contention.

Moviegoers looking for a romance are better off seeing "The Notebook," and as a musical/biography goes, "De-Lovely" is no "Amadeus" or "Immortal Beloved." But fans of Kline and Judd, and especially those with fond memories of Porter's music will find the movie worthwhile.

Grade: B-

Rated PG-13
2 hr 5 min.
Theatrical release: July 2, 2004, expanding from selected cities
Official website


And Then?...
Kline appears in Steve Martin's "The Pink Panther" next summer;
Ashley Judd's thriller "Twisted" arrives on DVD this August 31st;
Irwin Winkler directs the sibling rivalry comedy "Man on Third" next year.
Also watch for Kevin Spacey starring in the Bobby Darin biopic "Beyond the Sea" this holiday season.

2004 Movie Planner