MovieChat Forums > Easy Virtue (2009) Discussion > Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth rel...

Kristin Scott Thomas and Colin Firth relationship

posted 15 years ago by an_drea1516
12 replies | jump to latest

I just watched this movie today and im confused about KST and CF relationship, i know that CF was affected by the war and couldnt find himself after, but i dont understand why their relationship was like that? I know that KST came after him (there was even a hint of smile on her face when she saw him in a *beep* house)but its like they were strangers and too much strain on them both. There was even a scene where Colin put on a sunglass and KST reflection was seen. What does that mean?
Sorry, i have a hard time understanding English accent, so i guess i miss something.

[–] JudeTheFilmFan 15 years ago

She probably didn't forgive him for not coming home & for carousing in opium dens & brothels. He no longer cared about their social set which was such importance to her -- remember the line about not having time for pet cementaries & Japanese lanterns -- and she resented that he didn't take part & be a good husband & escort her. (He didn't participate in the hunt, didn't go to the war widows review.) And he was no help to her in keeping the estate going. He no doubt resented her dictatorial, intolerant & manipulate behaviour. Once they started trading barbs it probably snowballed from there.

[–] Noir-It-All 15 years ago

I didn't like the mother but her having to run the estate without her husband and son's help was not fair to her especially as it was his estate and she married into the family. It's almost worse to run a house with a person who is there physically but not emotionally than to be a widow.

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

[–] gorye 15 years ago

Yes, she seemed to be complaining, but in fact she might be rather glad with the actual state of "who was who".
Could you imagine such a woman being content just to live watering her flowers? Arranging nice parties as a mistress of the house?
No, we saw her bossing over her husband and all even then.

And heard she didn't follow her son's advice for using some machinery, too.
So - John tried to be useful, but obviously in vain.

[–] Noir-It-All 15 years ago

I guess I didn't pick up on her not listening to the advise of "the men". I do remember that she didn't want her daughter-in-law's assistance, either, even to the point of making the sin of selling a piece of the property her idea.

An aside,
Just selling 450 acres wouldn't make as much money as subdividing. But, it wouldn't upset the neighbors as much, either.

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

[–] gorye 15 years ago

Venturing to be so bold as to tell something of "Great Houses-Estates"...

The world always changes, you know.

Eventually all the Great Estates we sold piece by piece in the course of XIX-XX, details didn't matter in fact.
Now they are used for touring, filming locations, and any other kind of publicity. That's the only considerable way to earn money for keeping them.
Flintham Hall - he's a place of location "Easy Virtue" - is it not?
Blenheim Palace is open for anyone. The Duke has to be content only with a tiny part of the Great Estate.

All I'm trying to say - Jim maybe knew better. He saw the world.
When Larita asked him - But selling your home, your community. Doesn't that matter?
Jim answered - No.
A dark horse, really.

[–] Noir-It-All 15 years ago

That makes a lot of sense. And, it was Jim's house and he DID read the newspaper.

I have visited some of these great houses including the one used for Brideshead Revisited.

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

[–] catrionalowe84 15 years ago

Do you mean the original "Brideshead" or the recent film, Noir-It-All? If you mean Castle Howard, where the original was made, I've been there too, & I thought it was absolutely beautiful. I was in Derbyshire lately & wanted to visit Chatsworth House (home of Georgiana from "The Duchess") & Hadden Hall, which was Thornfield in "Jane Eyre" 2006, but due to a country fair that week, the buses were unable to get to it. Really disappointed, but will try again another time.

Catriona x

Roger Federer - the greatest champion & sexiest man ever

[–] Noir-It-All 15 years ago

It was Castle Howard, where the original was made. Are you British? I am American but my husband is British. When visiting his family, tThe other movie/TV sites I visited was Portmerion, where The Prisoner was filmed. I also visited a castle where an episode of The Duchess of Duke Street was filmed as well as a castle off the coast of Scotland where one of the Monty Python films was set.

"Two more swords and I'll be Queen of the Monkey People." Roseanne

[–] merbrat2u 9 years ago

I thought it was Veronica's family home, for seven generations. That's why she was so stressed about it. I got the impression they both changed because of the war. Jim commented to Lari that Veronica wasn't always this way. He also noted that he neighbor was very attentive.
So if he and Lari left, a "merger" might still happen with John/Sarah or Veronica/Lord Hurst)(Hilda lost her chance with Phillip with the scandal clipping)
Happy endings for most.

[–] rack_focus 15 years ago

To answer your question about the glasses:

When we see the scene where Colin is in the whore house and his wife comes to get him, we see the same shot of his wife. They mirror this shot when he first puts on the glasses, signifying that all Colin thinks about when reflecting on his wife is oppression.

[–] leader (1689) 6 years ago

That is genius. WoW.

[–] LorcaGonzalez 9 years ago

The relationship was broken in many ways.
One cannot judge why it came to this, surely his PTSD had something to do with and her manipulative character too. Maybe they had problems before the war, maybe she resented have becoming what she was.
The pool scene seemed to indicated that she was like Larita before and was "pushed" into a life she wasn't able to escape anymore and the he left her there. Think how her smile reflected in the ball.

===========
http://Lorcagonzalez.blogspot.com
http://lorca-movies-reviews.blogspot.com