Review: An Ideal Husband
Starring: Rupert Everett, Jeremy Northam, Juliet Moore,
Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver
Directed by: Oliver Parker II
Review by: Joy Wyse, the SILVER Screen Critic
Oscar Wilde must have had fun manipulating all the lovers in his original story on which An Ideal Husband is based. This is one of those plots that you usually associate with the French. But, it is charming and well worth seeing.
Rupert Everett portrays Lord Arthur Goring, an eligible bachelor unwilling to settle down to marriage, much to the chagrin of his father. When Lord Goring comes to the rescue of his good friend, Sir Robert Chiltern (Northam) the action takes on the ins and outs of a farce. Mrs. Laura Chevely (Moore) a former female `friend' of Lord Goring has suddenly come back into his life. He is concerned that his loving wife, Lady Gertrud Chiltern (Blanchett) will discover his indiscretions and he prevails upon Lord Goring to go along with the attempt to prevent such an occurrence. One narrow escape follows another as characters try to disguise their identities.
Mable Chiltern (Driver), Sir Robert's sister, is infatuated with Lord Goring, as are most of the other women in his life, including Lady Gertrud. Her presence adds greatly to the fiasco.
Period movies such as this are a delight so watch if only to see the sets, the costumes, and the lifestyle of the era. It looks like it would be a wonderful way to live, until you realize how difficult it would be to sustain such a way of doing things, not to mention the discomfort of wearing those constricting clothes.
An Ideal Husband is not a great film, but it is enjoyable and fun. I'll probably watch it again when it comes on to free TV. It deserves a solid B.
SEE YOU AT THE MOVIES
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