Movie Summary of Dorian Gray by Michael the Moviegoer.
DORIAN GRAY = **1/2
“The Opposite Of Benjamin Button”
Oscar Wilde’s classic sinister tale of vanity run amuck is given the full-blown sweeping epic cinematic treatment by Oliver Parker. Ben Barnes plays the ageless man-boy. Only his portrait ages while he remains forever young. Kind of the opposite of Brad Pitt’s Benjamin Button!
Barnes re-teams with Colin Firth after this year’s much-loved adaptation of Noel Coward’s “Easy Virtue”. As Barnes only shares his secret with Colin Firth, it’s not until the film’s third act that it finally comes to life after Firth’s grown daughter falls in love with Dorian. But mainstream audiences hoping for a chilling horror film must first endure an hour of Masterpiece Theatre-style drawing room drama.
In 2002, Oliver Parker lovingly adapted Wilde’s “The Importance Of Being Earnest” into the definitive screen version, also starring Colin Firth. Just as much love and care has gone into this adaptation of “The Picture Of Dorian Gray” and fans of Wilde’s original story might find this to be the definitive screen version (there was one in 1945, and another in 1970).
I was never in love with the original story, so I find it hard to praise a film version no matter how handsomely made it is. I always loved the premise. A portrait that ages instead of its subject. As an original concept, it could be the set-up for a truly spooky movie in the hands of someone like Alfred Hitchcock, or even M. Night Shyamalan. But Wilde sacrifices the chills for a lot of highly cerebral verbal volleyball. Nothing wrong with that in a good British period drama, but I always wanted to see this concept played out in a horror genre. I know I should probably like this film more than I do. Call it a “guilty displeasure”.
DVD Double Feature: “Night Gallery” was Rod Serling’s follow-up to his “Twilight Zone” TV series. It began as a feature-length pilot containing three separate episodes (one called “Eyes” was directed by a very young pre-“Jaws” Steven Spielberg). An episode called “The Cemetery” stars Roddy McDowall as a man who murders his rich uncle for his inheritance. He is then haunted by a portrait of the cemetery where his uncle is buried. The portrait seems to be constantly changing showing his uncle rising from the grave and seemingly coming after McDowall. As a child this movie, using no CGI trickery, managed to always chill and frighten me, in a way that good thrillers should. I always thought a movie about Dorian Gray should have this vibe. The entire pilot is available on DVD in “Night Gallery: The Complete First Season”.
Michael The Moviegoer
