Love & Friendship Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		1.0
Overall		3.0

Love & Friendship Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman September 1, 2016

Love & Friendship comes based on an early, and somewhat obscure, Jane Austen novella entitled Lady Susan, penned and presented in the form of letters written amongst the characters, chief amongst them the titular young widow who plots to marry off her daughter while she herself flirts with any man who strikes her fancy, married or otherwise, but certainly of money. The story was not published until well after Austen's death and does not enjoy the same level of renown as her most famous novels -- Pride & Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility -- but has gained some notoriety of late thanks to this filmed adaptation directed by Whit Stillman, who also penned the screenplay. The film, indeed its story, may strike Austen traditionalists as a bit out of left field in tone and narrative structure, character construction and definition, and plot details and turns, but it is, if nothing else, a splendidly produced and performed picture that's richly detailed and paints a very much alive and engaging portrait of its source writings.

Lady Susan.

The tale begins in Langford where Lady Susan's (Kate Beckinsale) schemes upset Lady Manwaring (Jenn Murray) and her sister when Lady Susan convinces the foolish Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett) that her daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark) is a better match for him than Lady Manwaring's sister, Maria. Simultaneously, the scheming Lady Susan flirts with Lord Manwaring (Lochlann O'Mearáin) who begins to feel he is falling out of love with his wife and into love with Susan. The wealth-deficient Lady Susan arranges to send Frederica to a boarding school she can't afford then invites herself to visit Churchill for a stay with her brother-in-law and his family when her time at Langford comes to an abrupt end, courtesy of Lady Manwaring. Lady Catherine Vernon (Emma Greenwell) is not pleased with her new company; she fears Lady Susan's influence will unduly impact her brother. Can Lady Susan manipulate the world around her to find wealth and status for herself and her daughter, even at the expense of all around her?

The movie takes on a rather playful tone, necessary by way of its off-color main character and the even more off-color man in the middle of it. Lady Susan distances herself from other Austen primaries, engaging in scandal and manipulation in a manner almost reminiscent of the stepmother in Cinderella, but without the doormat stepdaughter to push around or a second biological daughter competing for her mother's manipulations. Rather, it's Lady Susan conniving her way about polite society, ruffling feathers and upsetting the status quo of established love and marriage in an effort to make a place for herself amongst the upper-crust. In that way, it seems a rather traditional narrative but made unique by her antihero methods. The movie's comical undertones offset the more serious machinations and balance the character's darker workings with an approachable, larger-scope ease of entrance.

The cast plays it well, each of the main players satisfactorily understanding of their position in the story and bringing the best of both the serious currents and humorous structure with ease. Beckinsale becomes Lady Susan with uncanny precision. Her ability to intermix a high class façade with her gutter wheeling and dealing obviously makes the movie. Beckinsale demonstrates a command of the character in the entirety of the necessary range, always finding the perfect delivery in interactions both grandiose and intimate alike. Morfydd Clark impresses as her daughter, pulled through the scheming and capturing that identifiable teenage rebellion while still maintaining as much period decorum as the character allows. The star of the show, however, is Tom Bennett as Sir James Martin, the buffoon character in the middle of it all who is too dense and slow witted to see how he's worked throughout the story. Bennett plays the part with a Martin Freeman-inspired presentation, but it works in the role and makes for the movie's best scenes as he stumbles about with one foot always in mouth.

Love & Friendship Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Love & Friendship's 1080p transfer dazzles. Colors are impressively vibrant and varied. Dresses and attire present with practically unmatched brilliance and accuracy. Natural greens are splendidly realistic. The palette is incredibly well saturated, with those more resplendent shades dominating but warmer woods and smaller accents around the estates never failing to feature anything less than a beautifully natural and graceful push. Detail is equally extravagant. Finer attire detailing is obvious, with plenty of ornate points on densely crafted fabrics. Lacy accents are intricate and attractive. Finer object detailing around the estates is excellent. Scratches on wooden surfaces, uneven paint distribution on walls, gravel in the driveways, all of it is finely revealing to the point that it would be hard to imagine a 4K presentation muscling out much more. Flesh tones appear accurate. The only drawbacks in the presentation are minor. Black levels occasionally push a little too light, and background noise rises to the level of minor nuisance at times. Otherwise, this one is good to go and it's quite the looker, too.

Love & Friendship Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Love & Friendship features a well-versed DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. Music plays with superb clarity and wide stage envelopment. Whether stringy harp notes that effortlessly float through the listening area or big percussion accompaniment that pushes the subwoofer to deliver a muscular bottom end, that track handles the film's wide-range of musical needs with commendable effortlessness and plenty of surround immersion. Supportive details are nicely revealing and involved as well, whether light gusty breezes that push through the stage or heavier sounds of horse hooves and carriage wheels trampling and rolling on gravelly surfaces. Dialogue is the primary component here, however, and the spoken word plays with natural center presence, expert prioritization, and lifelike clarity. This is a superb track that carries the film very well.

Love & Friendship Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Love & Friendship contains one supplement. Behind the Scenes: 'Love & Friendship' (1080p, 9:40) looks at the story and plot points, the broad swath of characters and their relationships, finer character points, casting, Whit Stillman's work on the film, and more. Previews for other Sony titles are also included in the special features sub-menu. No DVD or digital versions of the film are included.

Love & Friendship Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Love & Friendship doesn't come based on one of the seminal Austen works, and it makes for a welcome diversion from the many retellings of her most popular stories. It's a bit off the beaten path, particularly for an Austen novel, in terms of tone, delivery, and characterization. It's well performed and beautifully put together. For what it's worth, Mrs. Liebman, who absorbs historical fiction like a sponge, didn't particularly care for the movie beyond its production design. Sony's Blu-ray release of Love & Friendship features dazzling video and audio. Unfortunately, supplements are limited to a sub-10 minute featurette. Rent it.