Easy Virtue (2008)

Director:

Stephan Elliott

Writers:

Stephan Elliott (written by) &
Sheridan Jobbins (written by) ...
(more)

Release Date:

7 November 2008 (Ireland)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Let's Misbehave!

Plot:

A young Englishman marries a glamorous American. When he brings her home to meet the parents, she arrives like a blast from the future - blowing their entrenched British stuffiness out the window.

Plot Keywords:

Estate | American | Manipulation | Billiards | Audience

Awards:

2 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Jessica Biel	...	Larita Whittaker
Ben Barnes	...	John Whittaker
Kristin Scott Thomas	...	Veronica Whittaker
Colin Firth	...	Mr. Whittaker
Kimberley Nixon	...	Hilda Whittaker
Katherine Parkinson	...	Marion Whittaker
Kris Marshall	...	Furber
Christian Brassington	...	Phillip Hurst
Charlotte Riley	...	Sarah Hurst
Jim McManus	...	Jackson
Pip Torrens	...	Lord Hurst
Jeremy Hooton	...	Davis
Joanna Bacon	...	Cook / Doris / Beatrice
Maggie Hickey	...	Millie the Maid
Georgie Glen	...	Mrs. Landrigin
David Longstaff	...	Reverend Burton
Michael Archer	...	Warwick Holborough
Rebel Penfold-Russell	...	Mrs. Winston
Stewart Clarke	...	Young Man #1
Oliver Reid	...	Young Man #2
Joe Reid	...	Young Man #3
Stephan Elliott	...	Grumpy Party Guest
Sheridan Jobbins	...	Grumpy Party Guest
Fizz	...	Poppy
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Laurence Richardson	...	Marcus (uncredited)

Directed by
Stephan Elliott

Writing credits
Stephan Elliott		(written by) &
Sheridan Jobbins		(written by)
Noel Coward		(play)

Produced by
Joseph Abrams	....	producer
Paul Brett	....	executive producer
Alexandra Ferguson	....	co-producer
Louise Goodsill	....	executive producer
Douglas Hansen	....	executive producer
Ralph Kamp	....	executive producer
George McGhee	....	executive producer
Sophie Meyer	....	associate producer
Peter Nichols	....	executive producer
Tim Smith	....	executive producer
James Spring	....	executive producer
James D. Stern	....	producer
Barnaby Thompson	....	producer
Cindy Wilkinson Kirven	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Marius De Vries

Cinematography by
Martin Kenzie

Film Editing by
Sue Blainey

Casting by
Celestia Fox

Production Design by
John Beard

Art Direction by
Mark Scruton

Set Decoration by
Niamh Coulter

Costume Design by
Charlotte Walter

Makeup Department
Tamsin Dorling	....	hair stylist
Tamsin Dorling	....	makeup artist
Paul Gooch	....	hair stylist
Paul Gooch	....	makeup artist
Flora Moody	....	daily makeup trainee
Paul Mooney	....	hair stylist
Paula Price	....	hair stylist
Paula Price	....	makeup artist
Barbara Taylor	....	crowd hair stylist
Barbara Taylor	....	crowd makeup artist
Jeremy Woodhead	....	hair designer
Jeremy Woodhead	....	makeup designer

Production Management
Polly Duval	....	post-production supervisor
Tim Wellspring	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
James Chasey	....	second second assistant director (as Jamie Chasey)
Richard Goodwin	....	key second assistant director
Sheridan Jobbins	....	second unit director
Andrew Mannion	....	additional third assistant director
Christopher Newman	....	first assistant director (as Chris Newman)
Carly Taverner	....	third assistant director

Art Department
Louise Begbie	....	assistant art director
Tristan Carlisle-Kitz	....	dressing props
Chris Cull	....	property master
Nigel Kirk	....	hod painter
Dougie Lankston	....	dressing prop daily
Jono Moles	....	construction manager
Lucy Moles	....	construction buyer
John Moolenschot	....	on-set carpenter
Barnaby Papworth	....	construction coordinator
Alan Payne	....	graphic artist
Simon Riley	....	props storeman
Rosie Rose	....	set decorating assistant
Sarah Stuart	....	stand-by art director
Lloyd Vincent	....	chargehand stand-by props
Lee Wiseman	....	props
Gary Dempsey	....	stand-by painter (uncredited)
Rohan Harris	....	paintings (uncredited)
Scott Keery	....	props (uncredited)
Eddie Murphy	....	carpenter (uncredited)
Tom Roberts	....	standby prop (uncredited)

Sound Department
Howard Bargroff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Simon Gershon	....	sound
Simon Gershon	....	supervising sound editor
Charlotte Gray	....	sound assistant
Dan Green	....	dialogue editor
Mike Grimes	....	sound effects editor
Steve Hancock	....	boom operator
Dan Johnson	....	adr recordist
John Midgley	....	production sound mixer
Bernard O'Reilly	....	location foley recordist
Martin Seeley	....	playback
Matthew Skelding	....	sound
Matthew Skelding	....	supervising sound editor (as Matt Skelding)
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley supervisor
Andrew Stirk	....	foley recordist
Chris Sturmer	....	sound consultant: dolby

Special Effects by
Hugh Goodbody	....	special effects technician
Mark Holt	....	special effects supervisor
Thomas M. Horton	....	visual effects executive producer
Jan Staines	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Kris Anderson	....	digital compositor
Steven Bray	....	digital compositor
Steven Bray	....	title animation
Simon Carr	....	scene supervisor
Simon Carr	....	visual effects supervisor
Simon Frame	....	visual effects supervisor
Julian Johnson	....	3D artist
Sarah Juniper	....	junior compositor
Stephanie C. Kelly	....	digital compositor (as Stephanie Kelly)
Rick Leech	....	2D artist
Joe Pavlo	....	lead digital artist
Natalie Stopford	....	visual effects producer
Ben Turner	....	digital compositor
Audrius Urbonavicius	....	digital matte artist
David Vivian	....	visual effects coordinator

Camera and Electrical Department
Joe Alexander	....	second assistant camera
Stuart Bunting	....	grip
Andy Clarke	....	electrician
Chris Clarke	....	second assistant camera
Ian Coffey	....	first assistant camera
Daniel-Konrad Cooper	....	video assist operator: dailies
Peter Davies	....	electrician
Brian Greenway	....	second assistant camera
Eugene Grobler	....	lighting balloon operator
Giles Keyte	....	unit still photographer
Steve Kitchen	....	rigging gaffer
Oliver Loncraine	....	first assistant camera
Steve Manningham	....	assistant grip
David Morgan	....	camera operator: "b" camera
David Morgan	....	director of photography: second unit
Miles Proudfoot	....	first assistant camera: second unit
Sean Savage	....	camera operator
Pat Sweeney	....	gaffer
Chloe Thompson	....	camera trainee
Jack Warender	....	video assist
Jack Warrender	....	video operator (uncredited)

Casting Department
Deborah Aquila	....	casting: US
Abigail Barbier	....	adr voice casting
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting
Tricia Wood	....	casting: US

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Richard Cooke	....	assistant costume designer
Carmen Cristea	....	set costumer
Doina Raducut	....	set costumer
Hannah Walter	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Phil Ashton	....	digital colourist
Wilmann Bevolley	....	second assistant editor
Paul Ensby	....	digital color timer
Robin Langer	....	colour grader: rushes
Dominic Thomson	....	digital editor
Jane Winkles	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Jason Boshoff	....	music editor
Jason Boshoff	....	music mix engineer
Andy Bradfield	....	mix engineer
John Brough	....	engineer
Myles Clarke	....	music programmer
Felicity De Vries	....	music coordinator
Marius De Vries	....	mix engineer
Marius De Vries	....	music arranger
Marius De Vries	....	musical director
Marius De Vries	....	orchestrator
Michelle De Vries	....	music supervisor
Stephan Elliott	....	music producer: songs
Sam Frank	....	music programmer
Isobel Griffiths	....	music contractor: strings
Isobel Griffiths	....	orchestra contractor
Charlotte Matthews	....	assistant music contractor: strings
Adam Miller	....	music studio assistant
Tris Penna	....	music supervisor
Gerard Presencer	....	conductor: on-screen band
Lee Slater	....	music studio assistant
Mike Smith	....	music arranger
Mike Smith	....	orchestrator
Mike Smith	....	second musical director

Transportation Department
John Oxborough	....	unit driver
Mark Crowley	....	driver: Jessica Biel (uncredited)
Ergun Halil	....	unit driver (uncredited)

Other crew
Johnathan Abbott	....	studio coordinator: Ealing Studios
Danielle Bennett	....	key floor runner
Litza Bixler	....	choreographer
Libby Blainey	....	title designer
Julie Burnham	....	unit nurse
Jo Cameron Brown	....	dialogue coach
Hannah Collett	....	production coordinator
Matt Curtis	....	title designer: end roller credits
Juan Pablo Di Pace	....	tango instructor
Giles Edleston	....	location manager
Simon George	....	head of finance: Ealing Studios
Gwen Griffiths	....	animal wrangler
Jess Jaworski	....	assistant: cindy wilkinson kirven
Tabitha Jenkins	....	production executive: Ealing Studios
Rowena Ladbury	....	script supervisor
Mousy McCallum	....	additional set production assistant
Simon Mills	....	production runner
Chris Moore	....	assistant location manager
Camilla Naprous	....	assistant horse master
Gerard Naprous	....	horse master
Nick Oliver	....	location scout
Charlie Simpson	....	unit manager
Jules Smith	....	director wrangler
Susie Tullett	....	unit publicist
Jo Vaughan	....	animal wrangler
Jo Wallett	....	assistant production coordinator
James Greenslade	....	legal services: production financing (uncredited)

Thanks
Peter Barnes	....	in memory of

Production Companies

• Ealing Studios
• Fragile Films
• Endgame Entertainment (in association with)
• BBC Films (in association with)
• Joe Abrams Productions (in association with)
• Odyssey Entertainment (in association with)
• Prescience Production Partnerships (in association with)
• Prescience

Distributors

• A-Film Distribution (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Releasing (2010) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Svensk Filmindustri (SF) (2009) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment (2009) (UK) (DVD)
• A-Film Distribution (2009) (Benelux) (all media)
• A-Film Home Entertainment (20??) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Alliance Films (2009) (Canada) (all media)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (2009) (Greece) (all media)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2009) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• DeA Planeta Home Entertainment (2009) (Spain) (all media)
• Eagle Pictures (2009) (Italy) (all media)
• FS Film Oy (2009) (Finland) (all media)
• Hopscotch Productions (2009) (Australia) (all media)
• Noori Pictures (2008) (South Korea) (all media)
• Pyramide Distribution (2009) (France) (all media)
• R Film (2008) (Turkey) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Chile) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Colombia) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (Mexico) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2009) (South Africa) (all media)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2010) (Germany) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)

Special Effects

• Men From Mars

Other Companies

• AGM Productions  french voice rec edit and mix
• ARRI Media  camera and grip equipment provided by
• Alex Rose Wig Company  wigs (as Alex Rouse Wig Company)
• Alpha Grip  cranes
• Angels the Costumiers  costumes
• Birds & Animals UK  animals (as Birds & Animals)
• Blitz Hire  rigging equipment
• Casting Collective  extras casting
• Clearing House, The  clearances
• Clearing House, The  negative check
• Cosprop  costumes
• DDA Public Relations (DDA)  international publicity
• Decca Records  soundtrack
• Devil's Horsemen, The (I)  horses
• Ealing Studios International  internation sales
• Fatts  post-production script services
• Film Finances  completion guarantor
• ITN Source  archive footage courtesy of
• ITN Source/British Pathe  archive footage courtesy of
• Kodak  motion picture film supplied by
• Panalux  film lighting
• Panalux  lighting equipment
• Pinewood Stills  stills processing
• Ray Marston Wig Studio  wigs
• Scallywag Travel  travel agent
• Strongroom Recording Studios  score recorded at (as The Strongroom Studios)
• Technicolor Creative Services  digital intermediate (as Technicolor Creative Services London)
• Technicolor  release printing
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  re-recorded at
• West Trend Apartments  accommodation agent

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for sexual content, brief partial nudity, and smoking throughout

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

UK | Canada

Language:

English | French

Color:

Color | Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Ireland:12A | UK:PG | USA:PG-13 | Portugal:M/12 | UK:12 (DVD rating) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:10 (canton of Vaud) | Netherlands:AL | Canada:G (British Columbia/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Sweden:Btl | Singapore:PG | France:U | South Korea:15 | Argentina:13 | Germany:6 | Australia:M

Filming Locations:

Ealing Studios, Ealing, London, England, UK

Company:

Ealing Studios

Trivia:

Though not expressly stated, the story gives the impression that Larita is somewhat older than John (she repeated refers to him as a boy). In fact, Jessica Biel is actually younger than Ben Barnes by several months.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Larita first sees John after the race in Monte Carlo the mechanic in the bottom right of the shot takes his hat off and waves it in the air. A second or so later when she looks back at John, the same mechanic takes his hat off and waves it again indicating the shot was duplicated.

Quotes:

Mrs. Whittaker:Smile, Marion.
Marion Whittaker:I don't feel like smiling.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Breakfast: Episode dated 7 December 2009" (2009)

Soundtrack:

You Do Something to Me

Enthralling opening up of neglected Coward play; not for the shallow or juvenile

While I normally prefer film versions of famous plays to be as faithful as possible to the original works, this lovingly opened up, perfectly cast and filmed elaboration of Noel Coward's very edgy "comedy" - a treatise on post-WWI morality and the culture shock Britain went through - would almost certainly have made the Master enormously proud. It certainly provides more quality entertainment than any intelligent audience has been served up in many an intellectually sterile, bombastically overcharged year at the cineplex.

Usually when a film leaves you feeling that you've experienced a full evening in only just over an hour and a half, it's an indictment of the plodding pace and dragged out text - but not in the case of this fast paced, lavishly set piece fairly packed with ideas and events. The period references (perfectly chosen Coward, Porter and other period and period style music, news clippings of "current" events like Houdini's death, the "latest" 1920's farm equipment, "advanced" books, etc.) used to enhance our trip back in time come thick and fast in the first minutes only to be followed in just as quick order by the elements of culture shock Ben Barnes' John Whittaker brings back to his BRIDESHEAD REVISITED-style household along with his new American wife, played by the film's impressive technical lead, Jessica Biel.

So "opened up" is the piece in fact (on second viewing, the period references and extra "bits" like the inappropriate, MAME-like, fox hunt joke and questionable dog bit - while both undeniably funny - almost seem TOO thickly layered on), that the "secret" around which Coward's original play turned is unnecessarily "ratcheted up" and left for rather late in the evening - somewhat as Coward himself did with many of his plot points in his other comedy of ill manners revolving around ill scheduled visits to another country home of the same original year, HAY FEVER.

In truth however, this is an ensemble piece with everyone carrying their own bountiful load of surprises and moments to shine, although Colin Firth's quiet voice of understanding and reason and Kristin Scott Thomas's gorgon protector of family tradition and propriety very nearly walk away with the film. ALL those elements which drew lavish praise in earlier English country home films are here in abundance and with far more affection and honesty than, say, Robert Altman's over praised (and over long) 2001 GOSFORD PARK in which Ms. Thomas also shone - if then with far less substance to work with.

Since this examination of adult values and culture shock is clearly not for the "TRANSFORMERS" set with little or no frame of reference, one can only admire the film's considered management by its producers, slowly exposing it in welcoming festivals garnering awards and nominations from the *right* audiences and building momentum for general release. With Pixar's early summer success with an *adult* mentality based animated film, UP, the time may be perfect for this new (Alfred Hitchcock first filmed the play in 1927, in an interesting departure from his normal oeuvre, akin to his excellent 1930 version of O'Casey's JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK) and very welcome EASY VIRTUE. I just hope they aren't working too hard refining it enroute to general release - the distinctive last line mentioned in several early reviews was no longer in the print I saw - replaced by a bit of a cliché quote tied to a new song over the final credits.

If the plot resolution at the final curtain is a bit of an unexpected let down, it always was - even in Coward's original - and in this case, the journey is well worth the ride. Almost wonderful almost all the way through: a "don't miss" for any fan of Coward or intelligent film making. I haven't sat through another film twice in a row - and enjoyed it as much both times - since the film version of 1776 opened back in 1972! Well worth the ride.