Not having read the play by Oscar Wilde, nor having seen any other version of this play, I came to this film version only knowing that Oscar Wilde was reputed to be one of England's wittiest 19th century playwrights. I was expecting an entertaining event but was left let down by the attempt to tally late 19th century dialogue with late 20th century environment.
This is about the skeleton in the closet of rising politician Robert Chiltern (James Witby) who apparently came into his fortune in a less than forthright way. This has been kept secret from friends and family but now an old acquaintance in the form of Laura Chevely (Sadie Frost) looks set to bring it all into the open. It is left to his friend Lord Arthur Goring to smooth it over and keep Robert's reputation intact. Arthur has to tread a fine line, being all things to all men while at the same time wooing Robert's sister, Mabel. Perhaps it is Arthur, not Robert, who is Wilde's ideal husband-to-be. Keeping the viewer off-balance in this way would certainly be in keeping with his literary reputation.
The performances by most of the cast seemed flat and emotionless. Only Robert Hardy and Prunella Scales lent weight to this production. Tara Palmer-Tomkinson had a small role but she later became more famous for her partying and stints in rehab than her acting qualities.
I like films that are shot on location and this one was filmed in a part of the country I know quite well. The one location I question is Wrotham Park. This is the large Palladian style mansion that Arthur Goring drives past on his way to and from his house (Micklefield Hall). Wrotham Park is actually twelve miles away from Micklefield Hall yet in the film one gets the impression that the two properties are very close together. The scene where Arthur's car breaks down was filmed at the junction of Deadman's Ash Lane and Bottom Lane, Sarratt, Rickmansworth, England. The performances in this film leave me rather cold but the locations partly compensate so 5 stars.
This is about the skeleton in the closet of rising politician Robert Chiltern (James Witby) who apparently came into his fortune in a less than forthright way. This has been kept secret from friends and family but now an old acquaintance in the form of Laura Chevely (Sadie Frost) looks set to bring it all into the open. It is left to his friend Lord Arthur Goring to smooth it over and keep Robert's reputation intact. Arthur has to tread a fine line, being all things to all men while at the same time wooing Robert's sister, Mabel. Perhaps it is Arthur, not Robert, who is Wilde's ideal husband-to-be. Keeping the viewer off-balance in this way would certainly be in keeping with his literary reputation.
The performances by most of the cast seemed flat and emotionless. Only Robert Hardy and Prunella Scales lent weight to this production. Tara Palmer-Tomkinson had a small role but she later became more famous for her partying and stints in rehab than her acting qualities.
I like films that are shot on location and this one was filmed in a part of the country I know quite well. The one location I question is Wrotham Park. This is the large Palladian style mansion that Arthur Goring drives past on his way to and from his house (Micklefield Hall). Wrotham Park is actually twelve miles away from Micklefield Hall yet in the film one gets the impression that the two properties are very close together. The scene where Arthur's car breaks down was filmed at the junction of Deadman's Ash Lane and Bottom Lane, Sarratt, Rickmansworth, England. The performances in this film leave me rather cold but the locations partly compensate so 5 stars.