Directed By: Oliver Parker
Starring: Ben Barnes, Colin Firth, Rebecca Hall, Ben Chaplin, & Rachel Hurd-Wood
MPAA Rating: R
My Rating: 9 / 10
I'm going to make a rather bold claim to start off what is sure to be a rather glowing review. This claim might be bold, but I believe it to be quite true. Dorian Gray is the most underappreciated film of the year...not "one of the" or "perhaps the," but "the" as in the only one. Sitting at a respectable, but insignificant 6.3 rating on the IMDb and sporting a paltry 44% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, it would seem to the casual observer that Dorian Gray is an undeniably dud, a cinematic turkey, if you will. But, those observations would by wholly inaccurate. In fact, Dorian Gray is not just the most underappreciated films of the year; it is, quite simply, one of the best. I cannot tell you why I seem to be lone defender of this film, when so many others have disregarded it. I found myself swept away by its visuals, enamored by its performances (particularly a very sympathetic Ben Barnes in the title role, as well as a perfectly devilish Colin Firth), and fully engaged in its story. All of this coming from someone who thinks that Oscar Wilde practically walked on water. Indeed, Dorian Gray does not remain 100% loyal to its source material, but it captures the spirit of the text, an achievement that so many other filmmakers have failed to obtain.
