Magnificent performances abound in Richard Eyre's film, 'Iris'. Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent as the elderly Iris Murdoch and John Bayley, respectively, and Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville as the young lovers are all excellent, although Dench isn't given much to work with in the later half of the film, wandering aimlessly, not speaking and generally looking very ill. Winslet gives a beautifully refined performance as the young Dame Murdoch, as does both Bonneville as the lovingly goofy Bayley Jim Broadbent's identical other half (albeit, much younger). The film could've been great, but it sadly doesn't reach those heights. Very much a performance driven film, based on the real lives of the Murdoch's, it seems to skirt many issues and at less than 90 minutes is much too short to say' everything it should. Iris's descent into the hell of Alzheimer's is too swift, leaving the viewer in an awkward state, as we don't get to know the well' Iris before she turns into the shuffling forgetful mess. A sad film that, sadly, missed its mark, it's nonetheless quite good.
