One of the most trashed movies of its time, At Long Last Love has grown somewhat in reputation over the years. While it still cannot be considered a good musical, it's fair to say that it does have some bonuses. Chief among these is the look of the film, a color recreation of the Astaire-Rogers deco designs of the 1930s. Almost all of the sets and costumes are black and white, and the effect is stunning. Cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs has framed the design exquisitely, although the shooting of some of the numbers is somewhat static (most likely due to limitations imposed by the fact that all of the numbers were shot "live" rather than lip-synched). Burt Reynolds and Cybill Shepherd deservedly came in for a drubbing for their dreadful singing and charmless performances, but Madeline Kahn is a delight, especially during "Find Me a Primitive Man," and Eileen Brennan and John Hillerman have some very good moments. Also a plus is the Cole Porter score, especially the lesser-known songs (and well-known songs with less-well-known alternate lyrics). Unfortunately, all these assets are largely mitigated by the miscast leads, a poor script with often leaden dialogue, surprisingly drab direction, an off-putting coldness of tone and an unattractive endorsement of upper class privilege. Love could have been a charming romp, but it carries too much baggage to ever sparkle and bubble the way it should.
by Craig Butler
review
