Solemplex To me, this movie is perfection.

SpuffyWeb Sadly Over-hyped

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Kirpianuscus One of good adaptations. For performances - Rupert Everett as the inspired choice for each "translation" of Oscar Wilde universe - but, in same measure, for a sort of freshness of a case of inspired use of the nuances of Wilde humor. A film about a man and his secrets and the prices of confidence. Seductive. And simple. And, maybe, lovely.

gcsman This film is self-described as "based on" Oscar Wilde's stage play, and that's accurate. Scenes are not in the same order, quite a bit of the characteristic Wilde dialog has gone missing, and some other material not in the play has been interpolated. Nevertheless, it's entirely fun to watch and entirely worth it.My wife and I think this might be Wilde's best play, because it cuts a bit deeper than his more famous Importance of Being Earnest and really does have a serious message to go with the trademark Wilde comedy and unbeatable wit. The message at the end being, simply, that people need to give each other some slack -- extend forgiveness rather than judgment. Thankfully, lots of the wit is still there, and no one could do that like Wilde. The acting is fine, led by Rupert Everett as Arthur Goring: all the Wilde plays have a character who represent Wilde himself, and Arthur is the best case of that. We just came back from seeing the Stratford Festival production where Arthur was played to the hilt as a Dandy, which in Wilde's time was almost a technical term and which Wilde himself put out as his public persona. Excessively mannered behavior, extravagant and expensive yet weirdly tasteful suits, a quick wit ready to emit a clever opinion on anything at all, and comments that sound self-contradictory yet contain insanely clever aphorisms. The movie version doesn't quite do justice to that -- in fact all the main characters are somewhat muted from the more extreme versions you can pull off on the stage. Overall it's a great cast. Julianne Moore is fine as the villainously smooth snake who ignites the ticking time bomb that makes up the plot, Jeremy Northam and Cate Blanchett play the husband and wife pair who gradually come to understand each other, and themselves, better as they go along, and Minnie Driver is their sister who finally maneuvers Arthur into proposing, much to his own surprise.It's all a fun ride, though you end up wondering if they could have produced a version that would have been a bit more faithful to Wilde's text. As a last comment, the settings are very nice; both lavish and accurate for ca.1890's London society.

didi-5 'An Ideal Husband' comes to the big screen for the second time here as Jeremy Northam's Sir Robert Chiltern is blackmailed by Mrs Cheveley (Julianne Moore) because of a mistake in his past. Supported ably by Cate Blanchett as spotless Lady Gertrude, Rupert Everett as Lord Goring, John Wood as Goring's father, Lord Caversham, and Lindsay Duncan as Lady Markby, this version manages to be both entertaining and have a refreshing take on the play.Opened out from stage constraints as a film should be, this version is well-acted, energetic, but perhaps a little short on focus. 'An Ideal Husband' can be played seriously or as high farce; this film stumbles a bit before it decides which way to go.

Framescourer Parker's adaptation follows the tradition of source author Wilde: the glamour, grace, charm and delight of moneyed society mask a viper's pit of self-interest, and personal and political manipulation. Rupert Everett is born into roles of this period and provenance with his chiselled charm and diverting ease with women and men alike. The trio of women with whom he consorts as if they were, alternately, courtesans and diplomats, are superb. Julianne Moore and Cate Blanchett might be relied on to be delicate but deadly damsels but I was pleased to see that Minnie Driver could not only hold her own but also create and occupy a different role from the other two.This is not a one-trick picture with people simply being suffocatingly courteous and then sticking in the knife but populated with real characters creating a real sense of a fragile surface patina to their behaviour, as at risk as the more substantial lives which it represents. Parker directs with a discreet hand and the production is beautifully designed. 6/10