Synopsis: Biopic-musical about composer Cole Porter, centering on his marriage.
Appraisal: Paradoxically, lifelessness seems to be the rule when it comes to films telling someone's life, and this is no exception. It considerably edulcorates Porter's convenience marriage, giving it a romantic status that, based on reliable accounts, it lacked. It's not that I think absolute loyalty to factual reality is mandatory; it's that in this case the unloyalty has probably less than noble motives like hypocrisy; and the results are clearly tedious and unconvincing. Musically, it is tainted by featuring the worst renditions ever of two Porter songs: "Begin the Beguine" (which alters the melody beyond recognition), and "Let's Do It" (this one is so obscene it has to be heard to be believed). The other numbers vary from unremarkable ('Let's Misbehave') to quite good ('De-Lovely').
Rating: 40
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