Wilde

And then we'd still be not really sure that we were seeing the truth. How many biopics made today will be disputed in the future as being culturally biased, and how many of them would indeed be tainted by the holder of the camera? All of them of course.

So I don't know what was really going on in London and in Oscar Wilde's mind late last century when Oscar Wilde was seeing young men in London. But I do know that Wilde was an impeccable writer. The Picture Of Dorian Gray is one of the most memorable books I've ever read.

But what of the Oscar Wilde depicted in this movie? Stephen Fry's performance depicts a tender, resolute witty Wilde; but a man who falls hopelessly in love with a scoundrel.

Facts that I can vouch for are that the court case that took Wilde into prison, ruined his health and soon killed him was to do with a libel case Wilde took up against the Marquess of Queensbury (played with great force by the Full Monty's Tom Wilkinson).

The Marquees allegedly defamed Wilde because of a long standing relationship Wilde had with Bosey (Jude Law), the Marquess' son.

But what of the actual relationship between Bosey and Wilde and what of Wilde's true character? There have been two other films starring Robert Moreley and Peter Finch about Wilde. Stephen Fry's Oscar Wilde is a resolute, tender, loving, dignified man but we are still not given a profound insight into what made Wilde tick.

That would, as pointed out before, be impossible. We will never know the true story.

It still remains though that Wilde is a fascinating film about a learned older man who falls hopelessly in love with a spoilt, immature brat. Both the older man and the brat are played beautifully.

The production is like Dorian Gray, sublime. Wilde is highly recommended if you enjoy your love stories on the well spoken, well worded side.

And don't miss Jean Pierre Voos's production of The Importance Of being Earnest at the Civic Theatre in a few weeks. Jean Pierre always directs with flare!