It's no surprise writer/director Whit Stillman went on to adapt a Jane Austen novella (into the wonderful Love and Friendship); his fascination, fondness, and scorn for the upper classes is on full display here in his debut feature.
Edward Clemens plays Tom Townsend, a man whose "resources are limited", compared to the millionaires he's hanging out with, but is none-the-less drafted into a group of twenty-somethings from New York society's upper crust. (The "Urban Haute Bourgeoise" or "UHBs" as one character insists they be called.) Over the course of one debutante Christmas season, they attend some balls and a lot of after-parties, sitting around drinking and discussing socialism and literary criticism while they pine for and partner with each other.
There's really not much more to it than that by way of plot, but there's enough fun in the dialogue and in the will-they-won't-they relationships to make this group a pleasure to be with.
The screenplay garnered an academy award nomination for a Best Original Screenplay, and you can see why; there is an urbane sense of fun to every scene that charms, and alternately causes one to marvel at, then roll your eyes at the erudition and cynicism of this educated, yuppie set. (Sample moment; when Tom who has been debating the merits of Jane Austen admits he has never read her work; "I don't read novels. I prefer good literary criticism. That way you get both the novelists' ideas as well as the critic's thinking.")
(Or try this insight from the smooth taking cynical Nick; "Rick Von Slonekar is tall, rich, good-looking, stupid, dishonest, conceited, a bully, liar, drunk, a thief, an egomaniac and probably psychotic. In short; highly attractive to women.")
(See? It's fun!)
Beyond these pleasures, there is the sense of sneaking a peek at a world most of us have never seen up close; the conventions, the dress-codes, their outlook. Stillman knows this world well, and the characters concerns are taken seriously while always acknowledging their silliness.
There are some issues. The character of Nick, so fun early on, disappears in the final third for no discernible reason. Will Kempe in a key role as Von Slonekar is noticeably ill at ease compared to the rest of the cast. A final act dash to ensure a woman does not sleep with a man some of the others detest seems condescending and controlling to me.
But these faults are overcome by the charm exuded by the whimsicality of everything else. The WASPs of NYC are not really so discreetly charming, but as in an Austen novel, for a brief moment we invest in our protagonists and can believe the shortage of escorts is a problem we simply must address.
Edward Clemens plays Tom Townsend, a man whose "resources are limited", compared to the millionaires he's hanging out with, but is none-the-less drafted into a group of twenty-somethings from New York society's upper crust. (The "Urban Haute Bourgeoise" or "UHBs" as one character insists they be called.) Over the course of one debutante Christmas season, they attend some balls and a lot of after-parties, sitting around drinking and discussing socialism and literary criticism while they pine for and partner with each other.
There's really not much more to it than that by way of plot, but there's enough fun in the dialogue and in the will-they-won't-they relationships to make this group a pleasure to be with.
The screenplay garnered an academy award nomination for a Best Original Screenplay, and you can see why; there is an urbane sense of fun to every scene that charms, and alternately causes one to marvel at, then roll your eyes at the erudition and cynicism of this educated, yuppie set. (Sample moment; when Tom who has been debating the merits of Jane Austen admits he has never read her work; "I don't read novels. I prefer good literary criticism. That way you get both the novelists' ideas as well as the critic's thinking.")
(Or try this insight from the smooth taking cynical Nick; "Rick Von Slonekar is tall, rich, good-looking, stupid, dishonest, conceited, a bully, liar, drunk, a thief, an egomaniac and probably psychotic. In short; highly attractive to women.")
(See? It's fun!)
Beyond these pleasures, there is the sense of sneaking a peek at a world most of us have never seen up close; the conventions, the dress-codes, their outlook. Stillman knows this world well, and the characters concerns are taken seriously while always acknowledging their silliness.
There are some issues. The character of Nick, so fun early on, disappears in the final third for no discernible reason. Will Kempe in a key role as Von Slonekar is noticeably ill at ease compared to the rest of the cast. A final act dash to ensure a woman does not sleep with a man some of the others detest seems condescending and controlling to me.
But these faults are overcome by the charm exuded by the whimsicality of everything else. The WASPs of NYC are not really so discreetly charming, but as in an Austen novel, for a brief moment we invest in our protagonists and can believe the shortage of escorts is a problem we simply must address.