Screen Savor: Love & friendship through the lookin

The main thing you should know about period piece Love & Friendship (Amazon Studios/Roadside Attractions), Whit Stillman's first film in five years, and one in which he reunites the lead actresses (Kate Beckinsale and Chloe Sevigny) from his 1998 movie The Last Days of Disco, is that it is delightfully funny and engaging. Based on the Jane Austen novella Lady Susan, Stillman's adaptation honors its origins, and yet manages to come across as incredibly modern and hip. It's almost as if the characters are texting each other instead of corresponding by letter.

Lady Susan (Beckinsale), a widow with a reputation for being a terrible flirt, among other things, is determined to provide her simpleton daughter Frederica (Morfydd Clark) with a secure future. Following her rapid departure from Langford, where she had been accused of carrying on with Lord Manwaring (Lochlann O'Mearáin ), right under his suspicious wife Lucy's (Jenn Murray) roof, Susan arrives at Churchill, home to her kind brother-in-law Charles (Justin Edwards), his wife Catherine (Emma Greenwell) and their children.

Also present at Churchill is Catherine's ridiculously hot and eligible brother Reginald (Xavier Samuel), who is both well-aware of Susan's standing, but unavoidably attracted to her. A schemer of the highest order, Susan shares the details of her stay at Churchill with close American friend Alicia (Sevigny), wife of highly-regarded Mr. Johnson (gay actor Stephen Fry). Johnson, however, disapproves of Alicia's friendship with Susan and constantly threatens to send Alicia back to Connecticut, a fate worse than death.

The comedy and the drama increase when Frederica, who has been kicked out of school with nowhere else to go, arrives at Churchill. In hot pursuit of Frederica is rich goofball Sir James Martin (Tom Bennett), who can best be described as a distant relative of Annie Hall's. As mother and daughter begin to compete for Reginald's attention, an assortment of detours and roadblocks arise, leading to a series of amusing and entertaining situations.

Like Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll (aka Charles Lutwidge Dodgson) has written some of the most enduring books in literary history. Also like Austen, filmmakers are certain that contemporary audiences can get something from the experience of watching the writers' characters come to life onscreen.

More entertaining, although no less overloaded than its 2010 predecessor, Alice Through The Looking Glass (Disney), helmed by Da Ali G Show's James Bobin (replacing Tim Burton), finds the title character older, wiser and as feisty as ever. Returning from a year-long voyage to China as the captain of her father's ship, Alice discovers that her spurned but richer than ever ex-fiance Hamish (Leo Bill), is more unpleasant than ever. He also holds the deeds to the ship and her mother's home, putting Alice at his mercy.

With nowhere to turn, Alice is led through a looking glass by blue butterfly Absolem (voiced by the late Alan Rickman) where she is reunited with old friends, including Hatter (Johnny Depp) who is madder than ever due to unresolved issues with his father. In an effort to set things right on both sides of the looking glass, Alice must meet with Time (Sacha Baron Cohen, who is the only reason to see the movie) and convince him to let her have access to the powerful chronosphere so that she may go to the past and fix things for Hatter. Of course, Iracebeth (Helena Bonham Carter), the despicable Red Queen, also has her eyes on the chronosphere in hopes that she and sister Mirana (Anne Hathaway) can correct an event from their past.

Relying on distracting special effects rather than story, more often than not, ...Looking Glass looks good. The humor, when properly utilized, provides some chuckles. But it's hard not to wonder about the necessity of this sequel, and whether or not there will be more to come. Still, as this type of story goes, Alice well that ends well.