In Oliver Parker’s latest Oscar Wilde adaptation (with a screenplay by novice Toby Finlay), Dorian Gray, Ben Barnes spends most of his time in the titular role standing around looking pretty. And that’s pretty much what Wilde’s original novel was about, wasn’t it? It was about this beautiful young man who stays beautiful.
No it wasn’t! It was a serious examination of the power of vanity on the human soul and the consequences of trading your soul for everlasting beauty. The novel was infused with Wilde’s classic wit, expressed mostly through the character of Lord Henry Wotton, mostly absent here except for the occasional biting comment expertly delivered by Colin Firth, who is the only actor in the film who seems up to the challenge of, you know, acting.
