Film Review: Relative Values (2000)

Director: Eric Styles
Screenwriter: Noel Coward (play), Paul Rattigan
Main Cast: Julie Andrews, Sophie Thompson, Jeanne Triplehorn, Edward Atterton, William Baldwin, Colin Firth, Stephen Fry
Runtime: 87 mins
Certificate: PG (UK)
Brief Summary: A man returns home with his bride-to-be, an actress, who turns out to be the sister of his family's maid.

(source:IMDB).

Considering how many of my favourite actors and actresses feature in Relative Values, I'm surprised I hadn't heard of it before. Therefore, it was a pleasant surprise to receive it in the post and I'm very glad I added it to my LOVEFiLM list on a whim! The film is based on the 1951 Noel Coward play of the same name. I always enjoy films based on plays (counting The History Boys as one of my all-time favourites), despite the usual lack of hard-hitting drama. Luckily, I was not disappointed with this gem.

Relative Values is utterly charming, and completely British. Right from the off we are treated to dialogue filled with dry wit and just gets funnier as the film continues. However, it is the individual performances that really give this film the edge. Andrews plays the role of the matriarch perfectly, whilst Firth is by far the funniest character in his role of the cousin. Fry and Thompson put in brilliant performances also. Production-wise, it's fairly simple but I really enjoyed the opening montage.

The film could have been better if we had more of an insight into Moxie and Miranda's background or why Miranda and Don broke up. This is never fully explained. However, this is still a decent film and I recommend it to anyone who particularly enjoys British humour.



My rating: 3/5