RELATIVE VALUES

2000

How good it is to have Julie Andrews back on screen again; she brings class and presence to any film, or stage play in which she appears. It brought back memories of seeing her on stage in "The Boy Friend," "My Fair Lady," and "Camelot." Speaking of the stage, as I was watching this movie, I kept thinking, "This is just like the kind of wonderful drawing-room comedy of manners that Oscar Wilde and Noel Coward wrote so brilliantly." To my surprise, as the screen credits scrolled up at the end of the movie, I learned that it WAS written for the stage by Noel Coward. How clever of me! Nigel, the Earl of Marshwood is bringing his Hollywood-movie-star fiancée home to meet his mother, the Countess. Hot in pursuit of them is the movie star's former love who's come to try to get her back. What ensues over the course of a formal dinner, is pure Coward. Stylishly written(as if Noel Coward could write anything that wasn't,) beautifully staged, and cleverly acted in true BBC style, by everyone including Julie Andrews, Colin Firth, William Baldwin, Jeanne Tripplehorn, Stephen Fry, and especially, the wonderful Sophie Thompson. A quietly hilarious treat.

5 Stars

NJB