Chloë Sevigny, left, and Kate Beckinsale, in Love & Friendship (Roadside Attractions)

Fans of Downton Abbey jonesing for another drawing room drama are in for a treat with this adaptation of Jane Austen’s Lady Susan, a posthumously published novella about a devious widow who goes husband-hunting for both herself and her daughter.

With her husband deceased, Lady Susan Vernon has no home or fortune; she lives as the guest of various friends and family members. When the film opens, she and her daughter, Frederica, have left the home of the Manwarings (Lady Susan’s affair with Lord Manwaring having put a damper on things). Lady Susan quickly dispatches Frederica to school and sets off to stay with her late husband’s brother, Charles Vernon, and his wife, Catherine.

The drama ratchets up quickly. The deliciously scheming Lady Susan (played by Kate Beckinsale, clearly relishing every underhanded moment and wry remark) attempts to insinuate herself in the household, starting off by making obvious attempts at becoming a beloved auntie to the children. But she soon sets her eye on a more appetizing prospect: seducing Reginald DeCourcy (Xavier Samuel), Catherine’s brother. The two begin a relationship—much to the consternation of Catherine and her parents.

Meanwhile, Frederica (Morfydd Clark) returns from school, and Lady Susan tries to convince her gentle-mannered daughter to accept a marriage proposal from Sir James Martin, a wealthy bachelor who gives new meaning to the trope of the upper-class twit. (Played by Tom Bennett, the foppish character earns the most laughs and makes Pride and Prejudice’s Mr. Collins seem like an acceptable companion.) Frederica earnestly wonders how she can ever marry such a man, despite his enormous wealth (in this case, the apple falls quite far from the tree). Scenes where Lady Susan purrs about the latest development in her plans to her friend Alicia Johnson (Chloë Sevigny) function as an aside of sorts to viewers, letting them know just what’s going on.

The acting is top-notch here all around. Stephen Fry is hilarious in a minor role, that of Alicia’s stern husband. However, it’s Beckinsale who steals the show, taking on a role not often seen in Austen’s stories. There are shades of Dangerous Liaison’s Marquise de Merteuil in Lady Susan, as well as a bit of Gypsy’s Mama Rose; beautiful, intelligent, ruthless, manipulative, and hedonistic, she’s a fascinating character whom viewers will either love to hate, or will just plain admire.

Director Whit Stillman approaches the text with an apparent appreciation for Austen. The period details are right, but it’s the fun, tongue-in-cheek details that will draw in audiences. Characters are introduced, for instance, through humorously written subtitles as they gaze into the camera. The tendency to linger on actors, who often convey just as much in a pointed glance as they do with the actual dialogue, too, reflects Stillman’s understanding of what makes an Austen work so compelling.

With intrigue, musings on marriage, and a fascinating female lead, die-hard Janeites won’t want to miss this clever and witty offering, though it’s also ideal for newcomers to Austen–in fact, it may even be just the thing to foster a love in newbies.