"The Importance of Being Earnest," one of my favorite plays, receives the heavy hand of Anthony Asquith in this film adaptation which stars Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood, Dorothy Tutin and Margaret Rutherford. Based on the Oscar Wilde play, it's the story of a man, Jack Cardew (Redgrave), who leads a double life of sorts - he leaves his country house for the city to take care of his sick cousin Ernest, who doesn't exist. Intrigued, his friend Algernon (Denison) pops down to the country house as Ernest and meets Jack's ward Cecily (Tutin). The two declare their love for one another and become engaged. When Jack's fiancée Gwendolen (Greenwood) who only knows him as Ernest arrives, Cecily cheerfully announces that she is engaged to Ernest. Chaos ensues.
Anyone who has seen "The Importance of Being Earnest" on stage knows that it is fast-moving and contains one big laugh after another. Despite the wonderful cast, this film manages to squeeze every bit of life out of the play so that it becomes very ponderous and nowhere near as funny as it should be. I was extremely disappointed, as this play even reads better than it is performed here.
The only part that should really get a big laugh in this film is Jack/ Ernest's statement that he was found in a handbag as a baby 28 years ago. Since Redgrave was in his forties when he made this film and looks every bit of it and more, this statement is absurd. Alas, what should have been a lightning-paced, charming movie is beautiful to look at and little else.
Anyone who has seen "The Importance of Being Earnest" on stage knows that it is fast-moving and contains one big laugh after another. Despite the wonderful cast, this film manages to squeeze every bit of life out of the play so that it becomes very ponderous and nowhere near as funny as it should be. I was extremely disappointed, as this play even reads better than it is performed here.
The only part that should really get a big laugh in this film is Jack/ Ernest's statement that he was found in a handbag as a baby 28 years ago. Since Redgrave was in his forties when he made this film and looks every bit of it and more, this statement is absurd. Alas, what should have been a lightning-paced, charming movie is beautiful to look at and little else.