LOVE & FRIENDSHIP Trailer
Janeites unite, because here’s a Jane Austen adaptation that’s not another Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility! Writer/director Whit Stillman delved into Austen’s deep cuts for the epistolary novel Lady Susan, a piece she wrote before her major novels that remained unpublished until after her death.
As you can see from the trailer for Love & Friendship, the source material is a bit of a standout from Austen’s other work. It’s more of a comedy, still rooted in the biting observations that feature in her more famous novels but flowing through the mouth of a manipulative schemer. Susan is no Elizabeth Bennett. She makes her own path through the restrictive social strata of her time, giving us a more active Austen heroine without the addition of rampant zombies.
What a treat this role must’ve been for Kate Beckinsale, who appears to be relishing the jabs she gets to unleash. The film reunites director and co-stars Stillman, Beckinsale, and Chloë Sevigny, who in 1998 gave us The Last Days of Disco. Their familiarity seems to have paid off, as Love & Friendship has earned strong reviews out of its festival run. While it will certainly delight Austen’s fans, the well-executed twist on her formula may help the film find a larger audience.
Love & Friendship is directed by Whit Stillman and stars Kate Beckinsale, Chloë Sevigny, and Xavier Samuel. It will be released in the U.S. on May 13th, 2016 and in the U.K. on May 27th, 2016. International release dates can be found here.
Are you up for more Jane Austen adaptations? Let us know in the comments!
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