Stream it now Wilde 1997

 

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As a movie, Wilde held a certain appeal for me - I'm a huge fan of Stephen Fry and was intrigued to see him not in his comic persona or as an eminent novelist, but actually in a straight acting role. Add to the fact that the cast of this 1997 film also includes Jude Law and touches on the life of celebrated British playwright, man about town and renowned wit Oscar Wilde? I was excited to see how the movie would go about celebrating the author's life, especially with Fry in the title role.

To all appearances, Oscar Wilde (Fry), creator of such literary masterpieces as The Importance of Being Earnest and The Picture of Dorian Gray, is a man to be admired and envied: he is blessed, after all, with a lovely wife Constance (Jennifer Ehle) and a pair of darling moppets for children, as well as a stunning career and growing reputation as one of the most daring and brilliant writers the world had ever known. But it soon becomes clear that there is a part of him that has always been held in secret, in darkness, until he meets his wife's acquaintance Robbie Ross (Michael Sheen) and thereafter comes to know the mercurial, spoilt Lord Alfred Douglas (Law), affectionately known as Bosie, who fast becomes the great love of Wilde's life. As the two men become increasingly entangled in a relationship at once tempestuous and far less discreet than it should be, societal mores begin to assert themselves in the court of public opinion - leaving Wilde to defend his actions and his love to people not yet ready for such change.

Perhaps without quite meaning to, Wilde comes across as a weighty, slightly stifled costume drama - a corseted Merchant Ivory piece despite the themes of homosexuality and discrimination at its core. Perhaps this is due to the film's two-hour running time: just a tad too long, with too much focus on Wilde's attempt to woo and coax an adamantly willful Bosie into a staid, simple life that the latter isn't ready or willing to lead. The focus on Wilde's relationship with Bosie consumes so much of the film and makes it dark and moody, whereas an understanding of the man's genius - of Wilde's ability to weave magic into the words he wrote - is almost entirely lacking. Some elements of and references to his master works make cameo appearances in the script, but these feel almost like an afterthought compared to the time devoted to Bosie's histrionics, to the point that one feels that the movie could just as easily have been about any random gay couple struggling against themselves, others and the world to stay together at the point in time that Wilde and Bosie were alive. In other words? Wilde, at points, comes across more as a message movie exploiting the events of one man's life, rather than a true biopic focusing on the man himself.

That being said, Fry takes a good stab at proving that there is more to his acting chops than pratfalls and witty repartee - he pulls off both the debonair air of Wilde as man-about-town and Wilde as tortured, broken lover, and finally, Wilde as a man whose charmed life has been uprooted and ruined beyond recognition. If he occasionally comes across as awkward on screen, that's nothing compared to Law, who broods, pouts and preens with the best of them, but never manages to infuse much humanity into Bosie's starched shirts.

Not by any means a terrible movie, there are definitely moments to enjoy in Wilde, such as the the deep bitterness and pain inherent in Wilde's family situation as you realise how much he does love his wife and children, in his way, even as his own passions and indiscretion get the better of him. However, it remains difficult to shake the feeling that this movie is an abridged version of a story better told elsewhere, or a tale still waiting to be told - a melodramatic crib sheet on Wilde's life that serves only as filler until a more accomplished biopic comes along to take its place.

Full review to come.

Wilde (1998) - "In this life there are only two tragedies: One is not getting what one wants, the other is getting it. " - Oscar Wilde.

Probably the most bizarre movie I've ever seen; it's like Masterpiece Theatre Gone Wild. The story revolves around the beloved late 19th century writer Oscar Wilde, who (apparently) need only utter a few sentences of his writing to cause angelic young men to drop their drawers and through themselves into his arms. Worshipped and adored, Oscar led an idyllic life - married to the beautiful Constance (four years his junior) with two equally beautiful children, and a wild boyfriend, played by Jude Law who spends quite a bit of his time stark naked. Law's character eventually talks Oscar into doing enough crazy things (hint: watching) that Oscar is jailed for "gross indecency" (gay stuff).

Oh, this was Orlando Bloom's acting debut. He plays a rentboy and utters the immortal phrase: "Looking for someone?"

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME

I had an unreal weekend with my folks for my birthday. My hubby and I left Melbourne at 9.30am and got to Albury at 12.45pm. We met my folks at the motel (which wasn't too shabby at all) and then we went for a little stroll around town. We ended up at the cinema and we saw The Village. The movie was a bit of a let down, not scary enough, though I did jump 3 times and screamed once. It was an alright film and everyone else though it was pretty good.
So after the movies we went and had some lunch at a charcoal chicken place then headed back to the motel. We got cleaned up and changed for dinner in the hotel restaurant. It was really nice, the food was delish.
After dinner we headed back to the rooms (Dad got us connecting rooms, so cool) and we played cards. It was so much fun. my Mum and I couldn't stop laughing. She won and it was so funny as she hates playing cards.
Next morning my hubby and I had breakfast in the restaurant. We then packed up to head for home. Mum and Dad spent the day with us and we went to an army museum, which was very interesting. Dad took video of it and I have a few pics. I hope they turn out so I can post some of them on here.
Then we headed to Maccas for lunch and then bid a very teary farewell to them.
We got home at around 5pm.
I got some neat pressies too.
Off my Mum & Dad:
A sheet set (purple of course)
Pink slippers with teddy bears on them
Money
Floating jelly candles
A hat and scarf that she knitted out of this fuzzy purple wool. Cool
From my Brother:
A couple of scratchies that I won $2 on and a Coles Myer gift voucher
From hubby:
Wilde DVD
Reindeer Games DVD
A miniture saxophone in a velvet case
The Doulglas Addams radio scripts from the BBC for Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy.

Today I got 3 text messages, 2 phone calls, 2 PM's and a shit load of wishes at Deppography. I'm so happy.
I got a cuppa tea in bed this morning from hubby and he rang me today to tell me he got "The Calcium Kid" on DVD to review. YAY!!!!! We will be watching that tonight for sure. My brother also rang me last night to wish me happy birthday for today and I also got email cards as well.
I feel so loved, it's great

Hey All,

I know, I like to rent a lot of movies on the weekends. LOL! So, get over it. I would rather watch a movie at home than at a movie theater where it is over crowded, sometimes filled with screaming kids, and over priced. LOL! Any who! I rented this movie this past weekend called "Wilde". I really enjoyed the cast a lot as well as the story line. It's about Oscar Wilde's life and he went through during the Victorian age being a closet homosexual. I did read Portrait of Dorian Grey as well as saw the older version of the movie with Angela Landsberry. I really enjoyed the story but I didn't necessarily know about Oscar's life. Even though they supped it up for Hollywood's standards, it got me interested more in to his writing. I would suggest this movie to any one especially if you interested in his stories. There is some extra stuff on the DVD.


Fritz ;)

For the most part, I enjoyed this movie. At least the first half of it. Most of the action takes place then which kind of makes the last half of the movie drag on. The special effects were great. The acting was ok. I was fortunate enough to have watched it in the theaters. The problem with natural disaster films is that watching on a DVD can be less exciting.