Rating:
Genre:
Soundtrack
Release Date: 06/15/2004
The
soundtrack to
De-Lovely -- a film that imagines the unusual love story and marriage of classic American songwriter
Cole Porter (who was gay) and
Linda Lee Porter as the kind of all-singing, all-dancing production for which
Porter himself might have written the songs -- is a whirl of contrasting, and occasionally clashing, performances that tries to embody the many sides of
Porter's music.
Porter was able to write profoundly romantic love songs and whimsical, witty, devil-may-care tunes with equal conviction, and
De-Lovely tends to polarize these aspects.
Elvis Costello's
"Let's Misbehave," Mick Hucknall's
"I Love You," and the cast's rendition of
"Be a Clown" and
"Blow, Gabriel, Blow" are highly theatrical, and
Costello's performance nearly crosses the line dividing playful and jokey. The set-piece quality of
"Anything Goes" and the rehearsal-like
"Night and Day" might disappoint some
Porter fans looking for
De-Lovely to double as a greatest-hits collection, but the stagy quality of the album emphasizes that it is first and foremost a
soundtrack (to a
musical production within the film, no less). It should come as no surprise, then, that the many
pop,
jazz, and
rock star cameos have a costumey, dress-up feel, but a surprising number of them work well.
"Begin the Beguine"'s silky melody combined with
Sheryl Crow's husky voice makes for an appealing contrast, and
Alanis Morissette's refined turn on
"Let's Do It (Let's Fall in Love)" underscores the influence of
Björk's vocal phrasing on
Morissette's singing.
Robbie Williams also cleans up well, contributing a version of the title track that winks just enough. Somewhat more surprising is the fact that
De-Lovely's actors provide some of the
soundtrack's best moments.
Kevin Kline's considerable musical skills make him an apt
Cole Porter, and
Ashley Judd's girlish, unadorned vocals add some intimacy to
De-Lovely's larger-than-life feel, especially on the sweet duet with
Tayler Hamilton,
"True Love." Other highlights include swell-egant renditions of
"What Is This Thing Called Love?," "Love for Sale," and
"Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye," by
Lemar,
Vivian Green, and
Natalie Cole, respectively. Along with
Diana Krall's
"It Was Just One of Those Things" and
Lara Fabian and
Mario Frangoulis'
"So in Love," these are performances by artists in their element, and they retain their own identities while fitting in with the rest of the
soundtrack.
De-Lovely is long and often scattered, but its attempts to breathe new life into
Porter's work are admirable, even if they're not always successful.
~Heather Phares, All Music Guide
;)
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