This was an absolute delight. It's incredibly well-written and often laugh-out-loud hilarious, and the entire cast is at the top of their game. Kate Beckinsale is fantastic and delivers what I believe is a career-best performance - her delivery is so hysterical and she manages to sell this despicable character's undeniable charm perfectly. This is way different from your average Jane Austen movie adaptation and feels incredibly modern - don't miss it, it's a blast. A-

There is perhaps no better descriptor for Whit Stillman's Love & Friendship than "delightful romp." This is likely the most hilarious Jane Austen adaptation you're ever going to find, and it should win over even people who don't traditionally like stuffy costume/period dramas. In the role of her career so far, Kate Beckinsale devours the role of Lady Susan with relish, perhaps surprising many who have written her off as an actress recently. A terrific supporting cast is in fine form as well, particularly Tom Bennett as the film's "blockhead." It's perfectly tart and sly, and never overstays its welcome with a long running time. A-

It is undeniably a treat to see more of the incomparable Jane Austen's work adapted to film, however I urge viewers to keep their expectations reined in because this film is being way oversold by reviewers. Love & Friendship is an enjoyable but slight take on Austen's enjoyable but slight early short 'novel' Lady Susan. The actors enhanced it, but I question whether director Whit Stillman did. The onscreen text was amusing at first but distracting overall. *B*

I thought it was fine but was a bit on the dull side. I'm honestly baffled by the overwhelmingly positive reviews because besides a bit of humor, it's not much more than your typical costume period piece. I did quite enjoy Kate Beckinsale and Tom Bennett and there were some funny moments but it was just "fine."

C+

Writer and director Whit Stillman, a significant architect of independent American cinema in the 1990s with Metropolitan, Barcelona, and The Last Days of Disco, delivers a concise and tart adaptation of Lady Susan, Jane Austen's early epistolary novella, unpublished during her life. In a bit of an odd move, Stillman uses the title of another early and obscure entry in the Austen canon, Love & Friendship, teenage Jane's parody of overly ripe romantic novels. To play Lady Susan, a scheming and sensual widower who plots to find wealthy husbands for both herself and her daughter, Stillman recruits his Last Days of Disco star Kate Beckinsale, and her portrayal of self-aware, well-bred egoism is radiant. She is completely at ease playing the drolly barbed notes in which Stillman specializes, and the performance is a reminder of her more traditional dexterity as a thespian after a decade chiefly devoted to hunting werewolves in a tight leather catsuit. Everyone else in the cast, including Emma Greenwell as Susan's suspicious sister-in-law and, briefly, Stephen Fry as a scolding husband with gout, is very fine, too, with television comedian Tom Bennett arguably scoring the richest peripheral role as Susan's daughter's flamboyantly imbecilic gentleman suitor. (Imagine a heightened version of Pride and Prejudice's Mr. Collins.)

My only complaint of note: the film, however expertly dry the humor and sumptuous the costuming, is almost too compact and light a confection, an issue inherited from the source. I wish Stillman endeavored to deepen or expand the piece, perhaps by giving Susan's daughter a more complex interior life (versus just being a pawn) or even modestly slowing the pace to allow the viewer to more closely observe the Georgian-era atmosphere and customs.

B+

"May Mr. Johnson's next gouty attack end more favorably."

I loved Lady Susan's complete and utter disdain for her daughter It was so funny.

hm. Liked it and Beckinsale was very good but it felt very slight to me.

It has some funny parts but I was thinking it would be funnier. Beckinsale is great, Tom Bennett is hilarious, and Xavier Samuel is beautiful. It's good but I just expected more based on reviews. The ending also felt really abrupt.

7/10 (B-)

I watched it a few days back and did find it hilarious at times specially when Kate Beckinsale delivers a funny note in the first half of the movie. The costumes, dialogues are brilliantly done here but it doesn't continue the same tone in second half and uselessly wanders to side stories at the expense of a rushed ending.

As I already mentioned Beckinsale is hilarious throughout specially in the first half and I hope she really gets some attention this awards season. Tom Bennett is equally hilarious here. The reviews do seem to be overselling the movie.

7/10