Bright Young Things

Based on the novel, 'Vile Bodies' by Evelyn Waugh, 'Bright Young Things' represents the directorial debut of Stephen Fry. Set in the 1930's, 'Bright Young Things' is a dense character piece, which works from the hub of young writer Adam Symes (newcomer Stephen Campbell Moore). To his peers, he's a sophisticated young novelist about town with a gorgeous, if very needy, girlfriend (Mortimer), but in reality, Symes gets himself into acute financial trouble living above his station. When his novel is confiscated by customs on the grounds of indecency, the now penniless Symes is forced to take an assignment from Fleet Street. The tabloids want an inside man on the aristocratic party scene, which they hear has reached new levels of hedonism. Reluctantly, Symes accepts the gig and begins moonlighting as an undercover reporter in the upper echelons of British class society.

While Waugh was more scabrous in his attack of society (even the titles of the book and film reflects this), Fry is content to sit back and cast a wry, knowing eye over the protagonists and their follies. The film is very heavily populated, but for a first-time director, Fry shows an admirable ability to helm a cohesive narrative out of the many individual strands. Where he really soars, though, is with the points he makes on the nature of celebrity culture - with the newspapers desperate to report on people whose newsworthiness can best described as limited. Sounds a little familiar, doesn't it? However, this strength is also something of an Achilles heel as 'Bright Young Things' is colonized by so many shallow characters, it is difficult to emphasise or even sympathise with their plights. But while it lasts 'Bright Young Things' is very entertaining and it's refreshing to see such an articulate film.