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Reviewed by Elliot V. Kotek
(from the 2009 Toronto International Film Festival)

Directed: Oliver Parker
Written by: Toby Finlay (based on the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” by Oscar Wilde)
Starring: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Ben Chaplin, Rachel Hurd-Wood and Rebecca Hall

“Dorian Gray” is the classic tale of a man who sells his soul to the devil for the gift of remaining eternally beautiful. While his physical self reveals no scars, a portrait of the young man, held under lock and key, crumbles with his sins.

Now tackling the words of Oscar Wilde for the big screen for the third time, Parker had most success with “An Ideal Husband,” which garnered global award attention. It is unlikely “Gray” will follow suit. Barnes as Gray, although appropriately beautiful to look at, is not spectacular by any stretch; Firth as Lord Henry comes across as theatrical (albeit symptomatic of his devilish character); while Fiona Shaw and Maryam d’Abo fade into the background, under-utilized. Ben Chaplin provides, perhaps, the most meaningful performance of the troupe, and Wilde’s words reveal themselves as the truest stars on display as the film hosts the following witticisms:

– Conscience is a polite word for cowardice
– Art – a malady; Love – an illusion; Religion – the fashionable substitute for belief
– Who wants happiness? I have searched for pleasure

Parker does handle Wilde’s world with skill. The sets and costuming are gorgeous, and the epic, indulgent parties and competitive sexual escapades undertaken by Gray and his nemesis-mentor Lord Henry Wotton evoke comparative references to Fellini’s “Casanova” or Kubrick’s “Eyes Wide Shut.” Audience reaction in Toronto to the film’s all-inclusive, but not overly overt erotic, menu seemed to err on the side of prudence.

After all is said and done, “Dorian Gray” is, at its heart, the story of two men, of lust-filled pitfalls and ego’s catastrophic allure. While the film provides visual stimulation worthy of Wilde and a symphonic score of magnitude, the movie itself doesn’t move the audience to empathize with any of its characters and, therefore, lacks the emotional investment necessary to engage.

Photo courtesy of Toronto International Film Festival