Dorian Gray (DVD)

The Picture of Dorian Gray - a classic piece of literature by Oscar Wilde, and the only novel he ever wrote - but it hasn't adapted that well to the big screen over the years, and in particular, the 1970 Massimo Dallamano directed version was apparently quite a shameful effort. The last time the character of Dorian Gray appeared onscreen was probably in 2003's 'The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen' - and a pretty non-descript and disappointing portrayal it was too. The latest version, simply titled 'Dorian Gray' is directed by Oliver Parker, and it promises to be the closest to the original text - but is it any good?, and why does the title character have ...  Read the complete review

Dorian Gray is based on the 1891 gothic horror novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. The young and innocent Dorian (Ben Barnes) arrives in London to inherit the family property and is welcomed into society by the decadent Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firth) where he soon finds that jaded socialites are mesmerized by his youthful beauty. Lord Henry introduces him to talented artist Basil Hallward (Ben Chaplin) who becomes obsessed with Dorian, drawing him over and over again until he captures his image to his satisfaction. The resulting painting is shown, to everyone's great admiration, but Dorian begins to wonder how long he can stay that way. ...  Read the complete review

I've always loved the dark idea behind Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and was quite excited by the idea of it becoming a film. This excitement increased even more when I saw the trailer, which promised sumptuous visuals and a dark twist to your average period drama. Having seen so many book to film adaptations fall flat on their faces and fail miserably at portraying the beauty of the written word in a visual format, I really should have known better. Following the death of his father, Dorian Gray returns to the house he inherited. He is young and innocent and soon is taken under the wing of Lord Henry Wotton, who is determined to lead ...  Read the complete review

To Victorian London we go, then, for this adaptation of the classic Oscar Wilde novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray", published in 1891 and denounced by contemporary critics as "unclean" and "effeminate". Ben Barnes takes the lead role here, introduced to society on his majority to Colin Firth as Lord Henry Wotton and Ben Chaplin as artist Basil Hallward. Both men vie for the youngster's affection, with Basil eventually painting the portrait that Gray said he would give his soul for. Initially unaware of the implications of that Faustian pledge, Gray comes into possession of the picture and, learning its secret, locks it away in an attic so ...  Read the complete review

note: also appears in part on Flixster and The Student Room If there's any recent film that I really wanted to enjoy, it's Dorian Gray, an adaptation of Oscar Wilde's searing 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. It's a great story that's quite luscivious but also extremely clever, thanks to Wilde's superb witticisms, although sadly, not enough of the novel's greatness has transpired into this film, despite a dedicated performance from Colin Firth and immaculate visuals. Dorian (Ben Barnes), a young and incredibly beautiful young man, arrives in Victorian London, where he soon meets Henry Wotton (Firth), who introduces him to the debauched side of ...  Read the complete review