The wife in the movie, Lady Gertrude, totally idolizes her husband for his moral fortitude. The movie warns us against putting our fellow human beings on an unrealistic moral pedestal. In the end, love and honesty win out (but not without a fight!), and moral ideals triumph. It is a perpetual pleasure to watch them wriggle, struggling to extricate themselves. The likable characters become hopelessly mired in their own deceit. As interpreted here, his play conveys a powerful message about morality without sermonizing. Wilde’s rapier wit embodies both hilarity and compassionate wisdom about the fragile human condition. The best part of AN IDEAL HUSBAND is its clever dialogue. Driver as the saucy Mabel, in whom Lord Goring meets his witty match. The other actors do a fine job as well, especially Ms. Furthermore, Rupert Everett’s hilarious turn as the weary dandy with a heart of gold is simply delightful. If all of this sounds complicated, it is, but the plot continues to unfold in new, unexpected ways that thrill rather than bewilder. Meanwhile, Lord Goring busily fends off his father’s exhortations to get married while nurturing the affections of Mabel Chiltern (Minnie Driver), Sir Chiltern’s sister. Cheveley eventually tries to blackmail Goring, too, by offering to hand over the incriminating letter if he marries her. Cheveley’s desires, the foppish Lord Goring soon becomes entangled in her conniving scheme. She then attempts to blackmail Sir Chiltern, who is known throughout his community as an upstanding man of honor, and, to his worshipful wife, Lady Gertrude Chiltern (Cate Blanchett), as “an ideal husband.” Fearing public castigation and, most of all, his wife’s contempt, Sir Chiltern must decide whether to expose his long-buried sins or commit new ones to conceal his past.Īs Sir Chiltern’s friend and the object of Mrs. Cheveley, who has a reputation for stirring up scandal, soon reveals that she possesses a letter proving that Lord Goring’s bosom friend, Sir Robert Chiltern (Jeremy Northam), bought his way into Parliament. Laura Cheveley, played to devilish perfection by Julianne Moore. Lord Goring’s life of leisure suddenly becomes complicated when an old flame returns to town, the scheming Mrs. Everett plays the shiftless Lord Arthur Goring, a wealthy bachelor who spends most of his time admiring himself in the mirror and charming the ladies of his upper-crust social circle. Fortunately, director Oliver Parker uses Wilde’s wit to its finest advantage, producing a hilarious comedy of manners that, even though set in 1895, is as fresh and relevant as the day Wilde wrote it.ĪN IDEAL HUSBAND stars Rupert Everett, the singularly gifted homosexual comedian who co-starred in the 1997 picture MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING. Although his writing can be sophomoric and shallow, Oscar Wilde’s writing can also be unmatched in its insight into frail human nature and its clever turns of phrase. AN IDEAL HUSBAND is almost the ideal comedy, thanks to its respectful adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s original play of the same title. At last! A delightful comedy that is wise and charming.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |