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Reviews
De-Lovely (2004)
Delirious: Hollywood gets it wrong again!
I say "Delirious", because evidently, the people involved in this mess must've been just that. This ill conceived, miscast, puerile piece of garbage has very little to do with the late Mr. Porter's actual life and even less to do with his music. The movie even admits on a certain level that it's a fake by using footage from another horribly miscast biopic about Cole Porter, starring Cary Grant and Alexis Smith!
Another review I've read mentions that: "At the first night parties there seemed a disproportionately high number of black people as guests, and also in other scenes." Historical documentation supports that Cole Porter's life, especially while in New York, was more integrated than a casual observer might think. On the contrary, there were many black people who attended the late Mr. Porter's, shall we say..."Night Parties". Primarily Black male prostitutes whom he patronized at the Harlem brothels he frequented. A few, even served as inspiration for some of his more popular songs.
This isn't the only bone of contention I have with this movie. Much of the movie's music is taken out of context, not only chronologically, but also stylistically and logistically. He wrote songs for key reasons at key times. The very woman, who was supposed to have inspired this movie, also was reported to have given the song "De-lovely", its name. This is referenced in many notable biographies of Cole Porter.
If you actually want to know about his real life and his REAL music, go to the library and read for yourself about the actual person. Then, start by listening to his music. Ella Fitzgerald's Cole porter songbook serves as an excellent introduction. And if you're still intrigued, there are actual recordings of the late Mr. Porter playing and singing his own music. If you're reading this, you've obviously got online access, so do yourself a huge favor, start by visiting some of the online multi-media, book and music outlets and enter his name in a search. For the time investment of a few simple key-strokes and mouse clicks, you'll be able to learn and truly appreciate more about Cole Porter, his life, his music and his genius, than this blanched, consumptive Kevin Kline vehicle could ever hope to provide.
De-Lovely (2004)
Delirious: Hollywood gets it wrong again!
I say "Delirious", because evidently, the people involved in this mess must've been just that. This ill conceived, miscast, puerile piece of garbage has very little to do with the late Mr. Porter's actual life and even less to do with his music. The movie even admits on a certain level that it's a fake by using footage from another horribly miscast biopic about Cole Porter, starring Cary Grant and Alexis Smith!
Another review I've read mentions that: "At the first night parties there seemed a disproportionately high number of black people as guests, and also in other scenes." Historical documentation supports that Cole Porter's life, especially while in New York, was more integrated than a casual observer might think. On the contrary, there were many black people who attended the late Mr. Porter's, shall we say..."Night Parties". Primarily Black male prostitutes whom he patronized at the Harlem brothels he frequented. A few, even served as inspiration for some of his more popular songs.
This isn't the only bone of contention I have with this movie. Much of the movie's music is taken out of context, not only chronologically, but also stylistically and logistically. He wrote songs for key reasons at key times. The very woman, who was supposed to have inspired this movie, also was reported to have given the song "De-lovely", its name. This is referenced in many notable biographies of Cole Porter.
If you actually want to know about his real life and his REAL music, go to the library and read for yourself about the actual person. Then, start by listening to his music. Ella Fitzgerald's Cole porter songbook serves as an excellent introduction. And if you're still intrigued, there are actual recordings of the late Mr. Porter playing and singing his own music. If you're reading this, you've obviously got online access, so do yourself a huge favor, start by visiting some of the online multi-media, book and music outlets and enter his name in a search. For the time investment of a few simple key-strokes and mouse clicks, you'll be able to learn and truly appreciate more about Cole Porter, his life, his music and his genius, than this blanched, consumptive Kevin Kline vehicle could ever hope to provide.
Wolves of Wall Street (2002)
Howooooooovles of Wallstreet
I watched this last night. I think because it stars A-list hotties (ooh, I haven't felt this much heat since Mariah Carey's incendiary performance in `Glitter') Eric Roberts, Louise Lasser and Baywatch's Michael Bergin (it's so nice to see they're working and for these penultimate thespians, the "Home Shopping Network" as well as "QVC", might just be a stretch) and a semblance of what could be argued as being a more, should I say "Klassy" distribution company, the faux gay porn without actual sex factor in this movie is anemically low. Don't look for tighty whities and gym socks here. This is Christopher Street, I mean "Wallstreet" Dammit. Where hunky stockbrokers wear black 2xist knockoffs. * "Leeches" and "Voodoo Academy" serve up more generous portions of post-pubescent pulchritude. Did anyone actually turn into a werewolf in the movie? OH HELL NO! Call for continuity expert! How many days does a full moon usually last? In this movie, the full moon seems to be in phase more than a week. During the ooh so scary transformations, the actors turned away from the camera, and then after poorly edited quick cuts, the "wolves" (or characters who were supposed to have turned into werewolves) would turn back towards the camera looking very "Oooooohhh I'm so maaaaad I could just spit tacks". Then, with their temples decorated with purple marker lines, they would lunge at their victims and give them a hickey. Evidently, the production company here, wasn't about to waste time and an obviously coach class catering budget on special "Werewolf" effects. However, to the movie's credit, the actors were far less Bonnie Bell, pink sparkle-kissy lipped out, than in some of DeCoteau's *other work. Did you ever see the movies "The Howling" or "Silver Bullet" even `Teen Wolf'? Well, in those flicks, the werewolves were pretty nasty ambre's. Not so in this movie. These werewolves were closer to "Miss Jackson if you're nasty". The fembot quotient we've all come to love and expect from a DeCoteau epic, was in full effect, especially at the "Oh thank God this is over...*ahem, cough cough* I mean, is it over already?' climactic showdown when the main character Jeffy lube and his "Happy to be me" girlfriend Annie are you OK, defeat the entire pack of werewolves, by drawing on, ooh, my bad, I mean stabbing them ("take that you you you bitch in cheap shoes! Eeeeumph, I'm, oooooh, ooooh take that"!) with a silver ballpoint pen. I'd still give it 3 out of 5 stars only for the fact that it is a "B" movie and DeCoteau doesn't force the issue that his flicks are anything other and or more than that. If I was to judge this movie strictly against DeCoteau's others, well then it would probably only get 2 out of 5 stars.