Set in the 18th century, the film tells the story of the seductive and manipulative Lady Susan (Kate Beckinsale) who uses devious tactics to win the heart of the eligible Reginald De Courcy (Xavier Samuel).
Love & Friendship is Jane Austen with the romance drained out, exposing the pragmatism and the economic urgency underneath. That sounds grim, but the result is actually a tart, fizzy delight from Metropolitan director Whit Stillman.
Stillman doesn't upend the Austen formula, he burrows into it and embraces all its trappings. The snappy dialogue, meanwhile, rewards a finely tuned ear and will thrill all lovers of language.
In the masterful hands of the director and boosted by a deliciously manipulative performance by Kate Beckinsale, this feels like the most refreshing take on Austen's work ever put on screen.
