From Paris to Venice to Broadway to Hollywood, the lives of Cole and Linda Porter were never less than glamorous and wildly unconventional.  And though Cole’s thirst for life strained their marriage, Linda never stopped being his muse, inspiring some of the greatest songs of the twentieth century.

Songwriting came easily to Cole Porter, and he wrote hundreds of songs over the course of his life, most of them about love.  Love was always a question for Porter, who was himself gay, but was married to Linda Lee Porter, his muse and the love of his life.  Looking at Porter’s lyrics in this context, which this film does at length, things become more ambiguous; it really is not clear whether Porter is writing about a man or a woman, and ultimately it is unimportant.  The question is what is important, for that is what drove Porter.  The film handles everything with elegance and sophistication.  Unafraid of Porter’s complications, the film is based on them.  (In contrast, see the 1946 version of Porter’s life story, Night and Day, starring Cary Grant as Cole Porter.)

Kevin Kline is perfect in the role of Porter, a man who was born into money, made piles more, and lived lavishly across the world.  He personified the Jazz Age, the Lost Generation, well before he found any musical success.  His life revolved around fun, and his credentials as a playboy were matched only by his tireless work ethic.  The core of this film is the complex relationship between Porter and his wife, and Ashley Judd gives one of her better performances here.  Linda wanted to be with Porter, and she did not want to deny him his freedom.  She is able to communicate to him without really saying anything.  But the relationship is almost entirely on his terms.  She allows him his trysts, but that des not mean that the marriage is without strain.

De-Lovely is a self-aware film, something that is probably unavoidable given its storytelling device.  The film is set in the last moments of Porter’s life, as he watches the events of his life play out before him on stage.  This device is not unheard of (The Great Zigfield, All That Jazz, etc.), but it works here.  There is more music here than there is in most musicals, but it is woven so well into the story, and used in such a way as to drive the plot forward, that it never feels like the filmmakers are winking at the audience.  The music just rises naturally out of the material.  The music is used as part of the storytelling, to drive the plot forward.  (The “Love For Sale” sequence is a perfect example of this, and one of the best sequences in the film.)  We get to hear these songs as they must have sounded to Cole and Linda: “Anything Goes” and “Let’s Misbehave” were more than just music and lyrics, it was their life.

The fun ended for Porter when a horse riding accident crushed both of his legs.  He spent the last three decades of his life in agonizing pain, during which time he watched Linda die slowly, the chain smoking that had once been a statement of personal freedom claiming her.  This phase of Porter’s life is given the least amount of screen time, but we clearly see the sorrow and frustration he was living with, eventually not wanting to see old friends, the reminder of better days being just too painful.  In the end, Cole and Linda were perfect together not because of what they had, but because of the comfort they provided in its absence.

De-Lovely is presented in the original 2.35:1 theatrical aspect ratio.  The photography in this film is superb (especially that last shot!), and this transfer really does it justice.

This DVD is presented in English 5.1 Surround, with English and French tracks in Dolby Surround.  Music drives this movie, and the audio presentation is fantastic.  All channels are crisp, and the music comes through perfectly.

Audio Commentary by Director Irwin Winkler and Kevin Kline: The director and star of the film talk about how the project came to be, creating the character, and what their intentions were from scene to scene.

Audio Commentary by Director Irwin Winkler and Writer Jay Cocks: Cocks, writer of The Age of Innocence and Gangs of New York, among others, and Winkler talk about how they came to work together, and the thoughts that went into each scene.

The Making of De-Lovely: A behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film from inspiration to completion.  Details make up, costumes, and other aspects of bringing the film to life.

Music of De-Lovely: The musical talent in the film (Elvis Costello, Robbie Williams, etc.) talk about bringing the music of the Jazz Age to life.

Anatomy of a Scene: Be A Clown: Not to be confused with the Sundance Channel series, this featurette breaks down the logistics of shooting this number.

Anatomy of a Scene: Love For Sale: Another number, this one much more complicated, detailing Porter’s life in Hollywood.

Deleted Scenes: Nine deleted scenes, including an alternate ending.

De-Lovely Soundtrack TV Spot: A commercial for the album.

Theatrical Trailer: The original theatrical trailer.