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By
TERESSA ELLIOTT
Fans of the Oscar Wilde play may be disappointed in this rendition; those not familiar with either
the play, or the superior (and far more earnest) 1952 version available from Criterion, will likely find the film a
pleasant diversion.
It is a tale of mistaken (and taken) identities, with two gentlemen (Colin Firth and Rupert Everett) who woo two
gentlewomen (Reese Witherspoon and Frances O'Connor) by telling them their names are Ernest. The women seem to fall in
love with the name, not the men, investing a mere appellation with all sorts of positive qualities. They are shocked to
discover that the men are not either earnest or Ernest. The witty dialogue was the focus of the play; but unnecessary
farce and slapstick sequences not in original are introduced in an ill-conceived and ill-fated attempt to modernize
Wilde, and they dilute the comedy.
The film is not a complete waste of time, with Judi Dench being imperious and, of course, Wilde's trademark witticisms
are still here (some remarks have been imported from Wilde's journals). The extras are the obligatory 8-minute making-of
featurette, the slightly longer behind-the-scenes one, and an audio commentary by director Oliver Parker. |
