- Film Review
- Reviewed By Lorien Haynes
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4 out of 5
Once you've seen Stephen Fry in the title role of Oscar Wilde it's difficult to imagine anyone better suited. Playing to the myth of the giant of wit, restraint and wisdom, Fry conveys the strain of a public figure tied to a false marriage (with Jennifer Ehle) while besieged by his love for another man (a bitingly excellent Jude Law as the rich and spoilt Lord Alfred Douglas). Assertive in its graphic exploration of male love (two years prior to TV's daring Queer as Folk series), this may not suit all tastes. Nevertheless, it is beautifully written and its attention to period detail is spot-on. As a profile of one of Ireland's greatest writers, this is a thought-provoking and desperately sad film.
Plot Summary
Biographical drama starring Stephen Fry and Jude Law. Playwright Oscar Wilde is the toast of Victorian London, but his celebrity masks an increasingly reckless private life. When he falls in love with the wilful Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde risks more than just his reputation.
Cast and crew
Cast
- Oscar Wilde
- Stephen Fry
- Lord Alfred Douglas
- Jude Law
- Lady Speranza Wilde
- Vanessa Redgrave
- Constance Wilde
- Jennifer Ehle
- Lady Queensberry
- Gemma Jones
- Lady Mount-Temple
- Judy Parfitt
- Robert Ross
- Michael Sheen
- Ada Leverson
- Zoë Wanamaker
- Marquess of Queensberry
- Tom Wilkinson
- John Gray
- Ioan Gruffudd
Crew
- Director
- Brian Gilbert
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