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5.0 out of 5 stars
Exquisite Adaptation of John Bayley's Biography, May 20 2004
IRIS is one of the most exquisite film adaptations I've ever had the pleasure of watching. It's an intensely personal, and often intensely painful, look at the life and mental deterioration (from Alzheimer's) of Iris Murdoch, one of Britain's greatest authors.IRIS is composed of two intertwining narratives, one of Iris as a young girl, the other as a mature woman suffering the pain and degradation of Alzheimer's. While the intertwining narratives are inventive and beautifully written, the success of this film really depends on the strength of the four primary actors: Kate Winslet and Judi Dench as Iris and Hugh Bonneville and Jim Broadbent as John Bayley, the husband who remained devoted to Iris until the end of her life. I didn't find the two narratives difficult to follow at all. I thought they were very skillfully done and, as a result, quite easy to follow. Of course, those familiar with the life and work of Iris Murdoch will have an easier time of it than those who are not. Winslet and Dench are perfectly cast as Iris and both manage to convey her quirkiness, her femininity and her artlessness with stunning grace and compassion. Dench, who must portray Iris experiencing the deterioration of her intellectual powers has, perhaps, the more difficult role (and she plays it to understated perfection), but that takes absolutely nothing away from Winslet's stunning portrayal of the young Iris. Bonneville and Broadbent have an even more daunting task as Bayley, but both actors play their respective roles to perfection. Broadbent is especially good and quite understated as he shows us Bayley's love for Iris even as his heart is breaking over the wife he knows is slowly slipping away from him. Murdoch's and Bayley's magical connection was, in large part, due to their extreme intellectual connection and Broadbent does a marvelous job of showing this while still conveying passion and heartbreak. Bonneville also shines in this film. Just as Winslet is the perfect "younger" Iris, Bonneville is the perfect "younger" Bayley. IRIS is a quiet, rather intellectual film that, at times, is absolutely heartbreaking to watch. It could have slipped into melodrama or sentimentality, but the strong and very believable performances of Winslet, Dench, Bonneville and Broadbent didn't let that happen. IRIS is a film that's been lifted from an ordinary biography to the truly extraordinary by the exquisite performances of its four principle actors. Anyone who's interested in Iris Murdoch or her writing really can't pass this one up.
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