Relative Values (2000)

Did you people see the same film I saw?

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Based on a stage-play by Noel Coward, director Eric Styles' "Relative Values" stars Jeanne Tripplehorn as Miranda, a Hollywood actress hoping to marry her way into a family lorded over by Lady Marshwood (Julie Andrews), a wealthy aristocrat.Beneath its chirpy, comedic exterior, "Relative Values" is a fairly dour and depressing film. A satire of snobbery and class biases, it climaxes with Lady Marshwood successfully keeping her bloodline pure of lower-class upstarts. Hollywood's nouveau-riche may be treated like royalty, but they're no match for the real thing, who are masters at protecting their assets, human or otherwise.Brisk and witty – the film's clever title contrasts the "relative" value of Miranda with the presumably "absolute" value of the Marshwoods – Styles' film finds actress Jeanne Tripplehorn in a rare leading role. Cursed by her immaculate looks, Tripplehorn's long been an underused actress. In "Values", she plays a caricature of 1950s prima donnas, a facade which Styles peals back to reveal a wounded girl beneath. Interestingly, "Values" doesn't shy away from implicating the working classes in class snobbery as well. Indeed, Miranda is as abusive toward her sister, a servant, as Lady Marshwood is toward Miranda. This is fitting; society oft internalises the elitism of the ruling classes. Ironically, Styles' film does this as well, the scheming Lady Marshwood largely let off the proverbial hook. William Baldwin and Stephen Fry co-star.7.5/10 – Worth one viewing. See "The Remains of the Day".

This is based on a Noel Coward play, so you should know what to expect.It is very nicely done - the locations look great (Isle of Man standing in for Kent), the cars and clothes are fabulous, and the casting is excellent. Stephen Fry plays a butler (again) with some Jeevesian touches, but is pretty low-key. Colin Firth plays against type in the role Coward so obviously designed for himself - and is funny (again, not something one expects from Firth). Jeanne Tripplehorn looks suitably glamorous as the Hollywood star, and Baldwin This does make a few digs at class and snobbery, but it is really a bit of fluffy comedy to pass a pleasant hour.

I enjoyed this film very much. Lovely cast (the British actors are marvellous, the Americans less so), great costumes (charming 50s flair), good plot. Reminded me a bit of Oscar Wilde... I just loved Colin Firth as Peter Ingleton - he plays the obnoxious nephew in residence just so well. I love his performance - he's funny, charming and delightful. Light and fluffy - quite an entertaining little comedy for a Sunday afternoon. Be warned: It's very British!

This was a pretty darn good movie, and I always enjoy seeing Julie Andrews do comedy. But for me, the highlight of the movie was the dinner scene, with "Moxy" (Sophie Thompson) furiously biting her tongue while her clueless real-life sister (Jeanne Trippelhorn) concocts falsely slanderous stories about their mother, painting her as a bawdy alcoholic. Moxy's outraged cry of "Jugs of Beer!?" after Miranda/Freda leaves is priceless, as is her dressing down of Freda near the end of the film.I liked this film, too, because it didn't sink too far into the "Silly Ass/Bright Young Thing" mode that most of Coward's works tend to. Rent it if you can. It's worth catching.