“Love & Friendship” (2016) Movie Review: A Delightful, Witty Period Comedy Adapted from Jane Austen’s “Lady Susan”

Love & Friendship (2016), directed by Whit Stillman and based on Jane Austen’s unfinished novella Lady Susan, is a sparkling and witty period comedy that brings a lesser-known Austen work to life with charm and elegance. The film is a delightful blend of sharp wit, social commentary, and romantic intrigue, offering a fresh take on Austen’s classic themes of love, marriage, and social maneuvering. Featuring a standout performance by Kate Beckinsale, the film delights with its humor, clever dialogue, and satirical examination of 18th-century English society.

Plot Overview

Set in the late 18th century, Love & Friendship follows the beautiful and calculating widow, Lady Susan Vernon (Kate Beckinsale), as she navigates the complex social structures of the English aristocracy. Recently widowed and penniless, Lady Susan is determined to secure a comfortable future for herself, as well as for her daughter, Frederica (Morfydd Clark), who is neither as charming nor as well-positioned as her mother. Lady Susan’s primary goal is to secure a wealthy marriage, and she sets her sights on several suitors who might fit her agenda.

At the heart of the story is Lady Susan’s charming but devious character, who uses her wit and beauty to manipulate the men around her, particularly the young, naive Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel) and the much older, already-married Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett). Along the way, Lady Susan’s daughter Frederica becomes entangled in her mother’s machinations, as does the DeCourcy family, including Reginald’s sister, Catherine (Emma Greenwell), who feels threatened by Lady Susan’s flirtations.

What follows is a delightful comedy of manners, where love, manipulation, and matchmaking are interwoven with sly humor and a series of clever social interactions. As Lady Susan’s plans unfold, the film portrays the hypocrisy, self-interest, and absurdity of the high-society world in which these characters live, all while offering sharp commentary on gender and class dynamics.

Themes of Marriage, Manipulation, and Social Norms

As with many of Austen’s works, Love & Friendship is a sharp commentary on the institution of marriage, exploring it as a social contract that often hinges more on money, status, and convenience than on love. Lady Susan’s scheming, as she manipulates the men around her, provides a satirical lens through which the film critiques the transactional nature of relationships in this period. Unlike many of Austen’s other heroines, Lady Susan is unapologetically self-interested, viewing marriage as a means to an end, rather than an idealized romantic union.

At the same time, the film explores how women in the 18th century were constrained by societal expectations and limited options. While Lady Susan is an opportunist, she is also a product of a society where women had to make strategic, often morally ambiguous choices in order to secure their futures. The film balances this exploration of manipulation with humor, showing how characters play the game of marriage with varying degrees of success and sincerity.

The theme of manipulation is also extended to the various romantic entanglements that take place. Lady Susan’s daughter Frederica, for example, is caught in her mother’s schemes, and her own attempts to find love are stymied by Lady Susan’s attempts to marry her off to the highest bidder. The contrast between Lady Susan’s calculated manipulations and Frederica’s more innocent, genuine desires for love adds depth to the narrative and highlights the tension between societal expectations and personal desires.

Character Development and Performances

Kate Beckinsale is absolutely superb as Lady Susan Vernon, capturing the character’s wit, charm, and self-serving nature with a delightful blend of humor and cynicism. Beckinsale’s performance is one of the film’s highlights, as she brings to life an Austen heroine who is both wickedly funny and refreshingly modern in her approach to love and marriage. Lady Susan is a character who knows exactly what she wants and is willing to do whatever it takes to get it, making her a fascinating figure in the Austen pantheon. Beckinsale’s sharp delivery of the character’s biting wit adds layers to Lady Susan, making her both a villain and an oddly sympathetic figure.

Xavier Samuel portrays Reginald DeCourcy with a perfect balance of innocence and growing awareness. Reginald is initially taken in by Lady Susan’s charms, but his character matures as he becomes aware of her manipulations. Samuel brings a youthful earnestness to Reginald, making his eventual emotional evolution one of the film’s more satisfying aspects.

Morfydd Clark plays Frederica, Lady Susan’s daughter, whose purity and earnestness stand in contrast to her mother’s manipulations. Clark’s performance effectively captures Frederica’s inner conflict, torn between her desire to live an independent life and her duty to obey her mother’s wishes. Sir James Martin, played by Tom Bennett, provides much-needed comedic relief as a well-meaning but clueless suitor. His bumbling and absurd attempts at courting Frederica add a delightful touch of humor to the film.

The supporting cast, including Emma Greenwell as Catherine DeCourcy and Jemma Redgrave as Lady Susan’s friend, adds depth to the story, further highlighting the social dynamics and romantic entanglements at play. The film’s characters, while sometimes exaggerated, are full of charm and wit, making them a joy to watch as they navigate the complicated world of matchmaking and romance.

Visual Style and Cinematography

Whit Stillman’s direction brings a modern sensibility to the period genre, with sharp dialogue, quick pacing, and a sense of playful irreverence that complements Austen’s social critique. The film’s tone is light and comedic, with moments of wit that allow for social commentary without becoming overly heavy-handed. Stillman’s direction also incorporates visual flair, using wide shots of beautiful English estates and lush period costumes to evoke the world of 18th-century aristocracy while never losing sight of the film’s satirical edge.

The cinematography by Laurent Tangy enhances the film’s sense of elegance and sophistication. The interiors of the stately homes are gorgeously lit, and the costumes, designed by Sandy Powell, are a feast for the eyes, accurately reflecting the period while also adding a touch of humor with some of the characters’ outlandish attire.

Final Thoughts

Love & Friendship (2016) is a delightful and witty adaptation of Jane Austen’s lesser-known work, Lady Susan. With its sharp dialogue, engaging performances, and humorous take on love, marriage, and societal expectations, the film is a joyful romp that captures the spirit of Austen’s world while offering a modern twist. Kate Beckinsale’s standout performance as Lady Susan makes the film an engaging watch, and the ensemble cast, along with Whit Stillman’s direction, creates a period comedy that is as fun as it is insightful.

Fans of period dramas, romantic comedies, and Austen adaptations will find Love & Friendship to be a refreshing and engaging film, one that offers both laughter and an insightful examination of the societal constraints of the past.