An Ideal Husband (1999)

This film is self-described as "based on" Oscar Wilde's stage play, and that's accurate. Scenes are not in the same order, quite a bit of the characteristic Wilde dialog has gone missing, and some other material not in the play has been interpolated. Nevertheless, it's entirely fun to watch and entirely worth it.My wife and I think this might be Wilde's best play, because it cuts a bit deeper than his more famous Importance of Being Earnest and really does have a serious message to go with the trademark Wilde comedy and unbeatable wit. The message at the end being, simply, that people need to give each other some slack -- extend forgiveness rather than judgment. Thankfully, lots of the wit is still there, and no one could do that like Wilde. The acting is fine, led by Rupert Everett as Arthur Goring: all the Wilde plays have a character who represent Wilde himself, and Arthur is the best case of that. We just came back from seeing the Stratford Festival production where Arthur was played to the hilt as a Dandy, which in Wilde's time was almost a technical term and which Wilde himself put out as his public persona. Excessively mannered behavior, extravagant and expensive yet weirdly tasteful suits, a quick wit ready to emit a clever opinion on anything at all, and comments that sound self-contradictory yet contain insanely clever aphorisms. The movie version doesn't quite do justice to that -- in fact all the main characters are somewhat muted from the more extreme versions you can pull off on the stage. Overall it's a great cast. Julianne Moore is fine as the villainously smooth snake who ignites the ticking time bomb that makes up the plot, Jeremy Northam and Cate Blanchett play the husband and wife pair who gradually come to understand each other, and themselves, better as they go along, and Minnie Driver is their sister who finally maneuvers Arthur into proposing, much to his own surprise.It's all a fun ride, though you end up wondering if they could have produced a version that would have been a bit more faithful to Wilde's text. As a last comment, the settings are very nice; both lavish and accurate for ca.1890's London society.

Perhaps it does deserve a second viewing to be truly grasped...but the beginning of this film was so slow that I never got 100% into the movie until the third and final act... Perhaps reading the play at first would be better....perhaps the fact that it is a roman AND a slightly political made for a bad mix...whatever it is, it just was not my favorite.

Although I've heard references to Oscar Wilde, I was not familiar with his work, much to my loss it is now decided. This movie, screenplay written based upon Mr. Wildes original work, is quintessentially English in every way, much like Downton Abbey of today's popularity. In fact it takes place in an earlier era, perhaps early 19th century, prior to electricity and horseless carriages, in a time when the English language used in discourse was employed in the highest articulation and most delicate insinuation, respectful of integrity, honor, and sensibility in personal interchanges, but fully pregnant with subtlety, deeper hidden meanings, and wileful if not guileful, wit. The story is not complex, but it is artfully constructed and beautifully played out by the highest quality acting that I have seen in a very long time. Rupert Everett, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore, Minnie Driver, John Wood, and even Peter Vaughn (as the butler) all contribute subtle but effective, and memorable performances in this wonderland of high British society. The comedic timing, the perfectly phrased and delivered lines all add to the impeccable artistry achieved in this film. The sets deliver the essence of sumptuously wealthy English domiciles imaginable, and rarely is a bare hand visible, as the ladies and gentlemen find the wearing of white gloves fashionable in the day. Ultimately, it is a story about love, affections, honor, human imperfection, friendship, wealthy aspirations and the ending of a bachelorhood, all woven together into a cloth of varying textures in a kaleidoscope of color, using the finest quality of threads (acting). This is simply a very lovely, very enjoyable, witty and visually stunning tale in a time long since left behind, that I found highly stimulating and fun to fall into for a while.

How refreshing to find a movie for grown-ups! Did anyone else notice that Minnie Driver, in the role of Mabel, was doing a wonderful Audrey Hepburn impression throughout the movie? I think she is so underrated. She has such amazing range, whether playing poignant, comic, vulgar/comic, delicate,or tragic, she's always believable and fun/fascinating to watch. I also loved Rupert Everett, who struck just the right note. The cast must all have relished being able to speak such delicious dialogue. Of course the lush costumes and sets were impeccable, and created the perfect setting. The intricacies of the plot make a reviewing advisable and would certainly reward the viewer with lines of dialog and character interplay missed the first time around.