Wilde . Tucson Weekly . 10-12-98

Wilde

DIRECTED BY: Brian Gilbert

REVIEWED: 10-12-98

As in Oscar. This is another film by Brian Gilbert, who brought us Tom and Viv and seems quite fascinated by the secret bodice-ripping lives of literary figures. Though Wilde's life is anything but secret. The usual high points are visited here--his marriage, the discovery of his "true nature" with the help of a young relative, his Platonic love for boys, in particular Lord Alfred Douglas (Jude Law), who led to his downfall and eventual imprisonment for immoral behavior or debauchery or whatever they called sex between men then. As always when visiting the 19th century, there's lots of transgressive sex. Here we have "buggering" in soft focus and some hot, deep, man-on-boy mouth kissing. Nothing else stands out in this movie; I found Stephen Fry's Wilde a bit too trembly and vulnerable for the great wit who loved irony. Still, Wilde will do for evenings when Masterpiece Theater has been preempted; though you have to agree, if it were really good, they would have thought of a better title.

--Richter

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