The movie, at you must have already guessed depicts the life of one of the most brilliant and unusual man of his epoch — Oscar Wilde, whose life was as bizarre and paradoxical as his fine works. He didn't write much but what he wrote is brilliant though not in the mainstream of English literature what makes it more interesting in my opinion.

The film exactly reproduces the major event in Wilde's life: the glimpse in life of his extravagant mother, his marriage to Constance and the birth of his two children, his numerous amour romances with young boys, his affair with Robert Ross, his love with Alfred Douglas and finally his imprisonment. All this events are done in series that quickly succeed one another, none is really focused on but all show us the brightest episodes and turn points of his life.

The culmination of all these events is, no doubt, his love with Bosie, a capricious young boy, very beautiful and wicked who became his bless and his ruin and brought him to destruction. This love itself embodies the greatest paradox of his life: “In this life there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants. The other is getting it”. But this kind of love was not exactly put up with in the society at that time at least publicly and he was condemned to imprisonment for that. Even then he didn't lose his sense of humour: he behaved himself courageously in the court and tried brilliantly to defend himself. Though he realized that he stood the hopeless case, he didn't give up and he faced with honour the hard event of his life.

As a background we can hear one of his tales about the giant. The fragment of the tale accompanies the general tune and atmosphere of the film episode.

It is a brilliant film but I should also state that it is intended for the prepared spectator, the one who knows at least in outlines the life of Wilde. It is due to the fragmental structure of the movie. Any biographical novel would do like the excellent book The King of Life by Jan Parandowski or a very good book Wilde by Richard Ellmann, the much more detailed account of Oscar's life, on which partly the film is based.

I can't help saying about the excellent playing of the actors. They are all English and Englishmen can play Englishmen very well, with convenience. Stephen Fry as Oscar Wilde is as good as one can play. It seems that real Wilde looked and talk like him. I liked this actor very much. But Jude Law as Bosie is unrivaled. His very peculiar features make him look exactly for this role. I first saw this actor in The Talented Mr. Ripley and enjoyed his playing much. By the way when I saw photographs of those two men I admired the choice of actors for these particular characters, it was justified, it could hardly have been any better. Law looks exactly like Bosie. They missed with Robert Ross but he's not the main figure in the film anyway.

The music in this film is as good as all the other elements. It completes the atmosphere of the scenes which change themselves quickly and vary in mood, one moment it is bright, the other is gloomy, from the moments of bliss to the depths of despair. The end is abrupt but it does not spoil the whole impression. I'd say it is an excellent film and would recommend it to the connoisseurs of films. You'll certainly like it if you're fond of real British films with British spirit and that subtle savour that can be found only in genuine English films.

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