ART.
*'De-Lovely' echoes Porter's musica
By John Hartman
Daily Arts Writer
MOVIE REVIEW
There's a familiar lyric in Cole
Porter's "Anything Goes" that states,
"I understand the reason why you're
sentimental, ental,
'cause so am I, it's De-Lovelyl
delightful, it's
delicious, it's de- AlheMichigan
Theatre
lovely." This MGM/UA
seems to be the M
mantra of Irwin
Winkler's new film, "De-Lovely," a
fanciful and nostalgic look at one of
America's greatest songwriters, Cole A fine turnout for tonight's show!
Porter. fair amount of singing in the film, many of Porter's love s
The film recounts the life of Porter, and he is poignant and impressive in about Linda at all, there
played marvelously by Kevin Kline his imitation of Porter's historically nificantly more drama t
("The Emperor's Club"), and his life mediocre singing voice. Instead, the film is g
as if it were being performed like one The film centers on the relation- timental, brushing pas
of his stage shows. In fact, there is a ship between Porter and his wife, lems the two had in fav
song or musical performance in Linda (Ashley Judd), but much of musical numbers. Even
almost every scene of this film. Still this plot is glossed over and given the much lighter approach
Porter's music dictated his life and, "love-lite" treatment. Porter, a known deter from what was n
consequently, the course of this film, homosexual, was actively involved to Porter - his music.
and it is a delight to watch. with several men while the two were The joy Porter's mus
Some of the movie's best scenes married, and although Linda knew people no doubt over
involve the various celebrity singers about this, she loved Porter enough to sadness and confusion
performing their interpretations of look past it. If Winkler and screen- his personal life. It se
Porter's songs. Robbie Williams and writer Jay Cocks ("Gangs of New has taken a the high roa
Alanis Morissette are stand-outs, as is York") had delved the relationship's very entertaining music
Elvis Costello. Kline himself does a obvious complexities, as well as how unlike one of Porter's sI

The Michigan Daily - Monday, August 2, 2004 - 11
ii joy S TT