Sometimes I can’t get to a screening.  Sometimes there isn’t a screening available for a particular film.  Sometimes I’m just lazy and wait until the Award Season Onslaught to catch films that came out during the “For Your Consideration” award season year.  Typically, it’s all three.  So here’s a nutshell on what I think about one particular film: 2016’s Love & Friendship.

Jane Austen’s novella “Lady Susan” gets a witty screen adaptation courtesy of screenwriter/director Whit Stillman. While the onscreen text that lays out character introductions (as well as letters to and from characters) is a bit twee, the superb cast digs into the biting repartee.

As Susan, Kate Beckinsale is delightfully amoral. Chloë Sevigny digs into the role of Alicia Johnson, Susan’s BFF and co-conspirator. A few tweaks with the ending tie things up nicely, while staying true to Austen’s story. Come for the fun, stay for the jaw-droppingly beautiful costuming and set design.