I was really looking forward to seeing this film, as I am very fond of Oscar Wilde's work. The Importance of Being Earnest is absolutely delightful, and The Selfish Giant I fell in love with on first hearing at primary school and still have affection for it. So what did I think of Wilde? Seriously, I think this film is wonderful. It is the sort of film that is very thought-provoking, intelligent and desperately sad. The exploration of male love is quite graphic and it mayn't be to everyone's tastes, but I thought it was done with real sensitively and care.
Wilde certainly looks beautiful- the scenery is striking, the cinematography is breathtaking and the costumes are wondrous. Another asset I loved was the music score, it was absolutely gorgeous, almost reminiscent of a John Barry score. I also feel it is underrated too, very touching and really gives the film the emotional punch it has. Wilde is also beautifully written, the references to The Selfish Giant are very moving, and Wilde's witticisms are superbly expressed. The direction is very good, the pacing was fine and there is a great story as well.
The acting is superb, one or two of the actors are underused in my opinion but there is no bad performance as far as I could see. Stephen Fry(who I consider a sheer delight in Black Adder) is mesmerising in the title role, elegant, witty, sympathetic and charming, while Jude Law is every bit as good as a character that is volatile, passionate and irritated. Vanessa Redgrave, Judy Parfitt, Michael Sheen and Zoe Wannamaker are all note-perfect, and I liked Jennifer Ehle as well, she was heartbreakingly sympathetic but she was underused I felt. The best supporting performance though came from Tom Wilkinson, who was absolutely brilliant as the nasty, brutal and bitter Marquess of Queensberry.
Overall, this is a very moving and intelligent biopic that is beautifully written and faultlessly performed. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox
Wilde certainly looks beautiful- the scenery is striking, the cinematography is breathtaking and the costumes are wondrous. Another asset I loved was the music score, it was absolutely gorgeous, almost reminiscent of a John Barry score. I also feel it is underrated too, very touching and really gives the film the emotional punch it has. Wilde is also beautifully written, the references to The Selfish Giant are very moving, and Wilde's witticisms are superbly expressed. The direction is very good, the pacing was fine and there is a great story as well.
The acting is superb, one or two of the actors are underused in my opinion but there is no bad performance as far as I could see. Stephen Fry(who I consider a sheer delight in Black Adder) is mesmerising in the title role, elegant, witty, sympathetic and charming, while Jude Law is every bit as good as a character that is volatile, passionate and irritated. Vanessa Redgrave, Judy Parfitt, Michael Sheen and Zoe Wannamaker are all note-perfect, and I liked Jennifer Ehle as well, she was heartbreakingly sympathetic but she was underused I felt. The best supporting performance though came from Tom Wilkinson, who was absolutely brilliant as the nasty, brutal and bitter Marquess of Queensberry.
Overall, this is a very moving and intelligent biopic that is beautifully written and faultlessly performed. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox