Because of my nomadic lifestyle, there were always many interesting things that completely slipped my attention as I sailed around the world - luckily, good friends insisted I should check this out and finally last night I decided to watch it, though recently I have neglected reading, writing or movies completely as I was so focused on finding my feet on a dry land and getting a fresh start. It just occurred to me that I am incredibly lucky to have a new start, because Oscar Wilde didn't have one.
The biopic of famous dandy, wit, poet and playwright could have been made from many different angles - Rupert Everett followed his artistic muse and focused solely on Wilde's long twilight, after he was publicly tarred & feathered for his open flaunting of relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas. It seems this was a long-awaited project that Everett poured his whole energy into (besides directing and starring in it, he also wrote the script) and my head is still buzzing from the impressions - it is a beautifully made movie with some sensational acting and visually we are in for a treat but its also a deeply depressing and utterly heartbreaking story about the man who refused to go against himself. Had he chosen differently, Wilde could meekly return to his family (he was married, with two children) and spend the rest of his days in a pleasant anonymity, far away from public eye - instead, he continued to flaunt his flamboyant ways on the continent, where he slowly descended into poverty, alcoholism and illness, just to die at the age of 46.
It is not a pleasant watching - I squirmed with horror many times as overweight and depressed Everett/Wilde followed his self-destructive impulse, enjoying himself amongst the Parisian underworld while sinking deeper and deeper into darkness. There were many instances where flashbacks contrasted his previous fame with later downfall - elegant theatre audiences applauding his witticisms and street passersby spitting at him at the train station. The mob mentality and cruelty towards someone so well known and notorious was hard to swallow and Everett don't shy away from the horror of it and how it must have affected Wilde who lived privileged life up to that point - interestingly, I believe that downfall itself was not so much because of his sexuality (many of aristocrats enjoyed double lives) but because he made a wrong decision to put it openly on display in 19th century, probably expecting that his fame and status will protect him. They didn't - he clashed in a court with Scottish nobleman Marquess of Queensberry (enraged father of his lover), got a prison sentence like a common criminal and never recovered from a trauma. It's clear that Everett feels a strong connection with Wilde because he gives a deeply moving performance with psychological insight that goes way beyond usual craft - the snarling lips, the pain in the eyes and the unexpected witty remarks are probably closest we can get to Wilde in our present time. It is a very painful movie to watch but unforgettable one. I also must mention supporting roles of Emily Watson (as his wife), Colin Firth and Edwin Thomas (as his supporters) and Colin Morgan (as Alfred Douglas) who were all excellent.
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