Dorian Gray - Oliver Parker

Yes - two full names, what could that mean? Well, the film Dorian Gray, as directed by the talented Oliver Parker. This may be a bit of a surprise but beyond seeing bits of "The Importance of being Ernest" in a few scene classes, I don't believe I have ever read a full script by Oscar Wilde. Nor do I think I have ever read any of his books or short stories. Crazy, but true. I have seen a few films about him, as well as a play named Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde and I know about his life and his work - for sure.  The point being that he is on the periphery of my reading, though I keep thinking I should actually pick up and read more of his work.

So, why did I watch this film? There are other filmed versions of the story of Dorian Gray. One is actually called The Picture of Dorian Gray and has a very young Angela Lansbury in it. I own it and will be reviewing it at some point. The two main reasons I watched this film are - Oliver Parker, and Colin Firth. Oliver Parker directed Othello, An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Ernest, St. Trinian's and quite a few others. The ones listed above I have seen and own. I think they are beautifully filmed, have great casts and are really well done. Plus a few of his films include Rupert Everett (and Colin Firth)...who I am a big fan of.  I first got to know both of these actors, along with Cary Elwes in the 1984 film Another Country. I love this movie so much!! It gave me comfort and hope as a young gay kid growing up in a conservative religious situation.

Anyways, Dorian Gray is based on The Picture of Dorian Gray written by Oscar Wilde. It is a Faustian story of a man who sells his soul to the devil so that he can stay as young and beautiful as his first portrait shows him to be. He does, but his portrait changes and takes on all the physical aging and effects of the harmful things Gray does to himself. In the end....well.... let's not spill all the beans. Suffice it to say, this film is quite good however more sensational than I would like it to be. There is a lot of murder which I'm not sure is entirely necessary. Ben Barnes as Dorian Gray is gorgeous, as is Colin Firth as his first real friend in London. However, after watching the first two seasons of Penny Dreadful, this film version just doesn't do it for me. It is still good but just not for me.