Bright Young Things (DVD)

If you haven't seen this film already, I don't know what you're doing with your life. It's sweet, it's sad, it's funny, it's got a young (and adorably femme) Michael Sheen. Not to mention a young David Tennant (who plays an absolute knob with a terrible mustache) and James McAvoy. It's absolutely delightful and you're robbing yourself of a fun cinematic experience if you don't watch it immediately.

It's rather a shame when one criticizes a film for not being an exact transformation of an excellent book; this 2003 movie is a brilliant debut of the talented Stephen Fry's adaptation and directing abilities. Stephen Campbell Moore and Emily Mortimer lead a stellar cast which includes Jim Carter and his wife Imelda Staunton, Simon Callow, Richard E Grant, David Tennant, Julia McKenzie, Fenella Woolgar, James McAvoy, Michael Sheen, Jim Broadbent, Stockard Channing, Sir John Mills, and Peter O'Toole. Just as in his 'Brideshead Revisited,' Evelyn Waugh provides insightful social commentary. This film is delightfully set in 1930s England; but, the frivolities of the idle rich and the absurd quest for notoriety equally apply to the US today (think film or music 'stars' and reality TV.) I'd already seen this on TV some years ago and wanted to enjoy this satire again. And, it does have subtitles.

This is a fascinating movie written and directed by Stephen Fry, who is a genius. Based on an Evelyn Waugh novel, it shows characters jazzing through the 20s and surviving the 30s. You'll recognize nearly every actor in it and be astonished by the range of these actors.

Beautiful, haunting drama that masquerades as a light story of youthful dalliance.

Donated it to my local library after watching it one time.

What a wretched film. I don't understand the point? Goes no where.

It's a weird show

The difficult part of reviewing something you love, in this case for me the movie Bright Young Things, is that one tends to have rather a lopsided view. So, that being said, I probably do have a lopsided view, but after having watched this movie again recently, I was reminded why I enjoy it so much.The sheer amount of cast that has gone on to bigger and better things is kind of astounding, for one. That Stephen Fry has made a film that manages to be ridiculously over the top yet sombering at the same time is another thing. My only quibble is in how much I cannot stand the female lead character (not the actress Emily Mortimer, she plays the character perfectly) as being paired with the male lead, but that's a characterization issue and is particular to me in part. That being said, the acting in the film is pretty spot on, particularly James McAvoy who is riveting as the Earl of Balcairn as the character's life falls more and more apart. The final thing that struck me as I was watching was how excessive the parties of the film are. The 30s were simply roaring if this film is anything to go off, though that may in part be for show.For some reason I keep coming back to this film even though I have seen it many times over. The humor is typical Fry fair in many ways and the plotting is close enough to the original book (Vile Bodies) that one can pretty easily discern the events from the book to the film. Mainly, this is a fun film with a slightly over the top end that manages to remain grounded even in the most overwrought circumstances thanks to the acting. Five stars for exceeding my expectations every time I watch.

Based on Evelyn Waugh’s novel ‘Vile Bodies’ this film is an enjoyable romp and is stuffed to the gills with well-known British acting talent – old and new. Familiar faces flash across the screen in a breathtaking succession from a cocaine-snorting John Mills, Peter O’Toole to Jim Broadbent, Simon Callow, James McAvoy, Jim Carter, a gaily wonderful Michael Sheen, Harriet Walter, Bill Patterson, David Tennant, Dan Ackroyd, Angela Thorne, Julia Mackenzie, Imelda Staunton, and Richard E Grant amongst others. It’s as if Director Stephen Fry’s address book has come to life (and yes, he gets to play a minor part too). But there’s one that seemingly got away. Male lead Stephen Campbell-Moore on occasion produces inflections that at times have an uncanny resemblance to Hugh Laurie’s portrayal of Bertie Wooster. Adam Fenwick-Symes is not quite as stupid or hapless as Wooster and Hugh Laurie was either too busy or cannily counted himself out. Or Fry thought better of it anyway. But the comparison is apposite as Woodehouse and Waugh were the two great British comic writers of the early twentieth century. Woodhouse was unquestionably the funnier of the two. But Evelyn Waugh was much the darker and arguably closer to reality. He was good friends with real bright young things, Richard, David and Olivia Plunket Greene the grandchildren of British composer Hubert Parry – who wrote ‘Jerusalem’ and much else besides. They used to go to New York ‘to have their trousers altered’. There they fell in love with the Harlem Jazz Club scene. Richard Plunket Greene and his wife Elizabeth had a son, Alexander who in the 1950s married the fashion designer Mary Quant. The two of them helped fuel the swinging sixties and a new set of Bright Young Things. What goes around comes around, as they say. Stephen Fry’s first feature film fizzes with vim and vigour. It was fun while it lasted.

This is a great film with an excellent cast. If you like Evelyn Waugh's books and enjoy things which are set in the 1920s, you are highly likely to enjoy his work (originally published as Vile Bodies) when it becomes a film. Stephen Fry directs (his debut in a directorial role) in a way which keeps the film hurtling along at a great pace. It is hard to see why the film didn't receive more critical acclaim at the time it was released, but if you've not yet seen it, get hold of a copy and you are in for a sparkling viewing, albeit actually liking the characters may not be not the agenda.Open a bottle of wine and take this tongue in cheek nonsense in the spirit Stephen Fry intended!

I love this film and bought it for a friend but the sound quality was awful, made it unwatchable. Not sure if this was a one off or batch prob, so worth anyone buying it checking it when it arrives.

This film, based upon Evelyn Waugh's book 'Vile Bodies', is the first film that Stephen Fry directed. An excellent cast of talented actors make it a delight to watch. Despite the era, the storyline bears some similarities to today....youth and their activities horrifying the older generation. The arrival of the 1914 - 1918 war has a huge impact upon the 'Bright Young Things' of the title and their everyday lives and expectations.

Watched this 3 times and will watch again, daughter watched it with me last time and she could not stop laughing and shall watch it yet again after suitable interval