MuggleMagic Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 Has anybody else seen this yet? I watched it last night and I LOVED it!!! It is EXCELLENT! It was quite creepy too Somebody in the audience threw their popcorn up in the air at one point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted September 10, 2009 Share Posted September 10, 2009 I haven't seen it, and I'm dreading it. Creepy? The novel was never outright creepy. (And yes, I'm going to be a stubborn child when it comes to my beloved Oscar Wilde. ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishbookworm Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Has anybody else seen this yet? I watched it last night and I LOVED it!!! It is EXCELLENT! It was quite creepy too Somebody in the audience threw their popcorn up in the air at one point I saw it yesterday! it was great it wasn't scary or creepy! I loved the movie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 How does it compare to the book? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuggleMagic Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 Maybe i am a wimp but what with the music ... I did find it a little bit jumpy I haven't read the book in a while so I could be wrong here but I am pretty sure there is one part in the film that would never have been published at the time. Throughout the book I picked up that maybe Basil had feelings for Dorian. I didn't mention this to my boyfriend (he hasn't read the book) because I wanted to see whether he would pick up on anything like that in the film. Well, it didn't leave much to the imagination let me tell you! That annoyed me a little bit Other than that it was good Dorian Gray WAS very handsome in the film Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissi Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Dorian Gray WAS very handsome in the film Course he was, he was played by Ben Barnes, the most gorgeous man on earth I saw the film at a media screening a few weeks ago and wasn't happy with it. Some things just didn't make any sense as they focused far too much on the fact that he's having fun with loads and loads of women. The thing with the portrait was rather ridiculous as well with it making this weird breathing sound and looking completely and utterly stupid . Some people laughed at it when they showed the portrait again at the end, don't think it was meant to be laughed at. Neither me and my friend got why there were maggots eating their way through the portrait as well ... But I'm going to watch it again tomorrow and will see if I might enjoy it more this time. Last time I was far too excited as my friend just called me 5 hours earlier telling me she had a ticket to the media screening for me. Being a Ben fan that meant quite a lot to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuggleMagic Posted September 11, 2009 Author Share Posted September 11, 2009 Course he was, he was played by Ben Barnes, the most gorgeous man on earth I saw the film at a media screening a few weeks ago and wasn't happy with it. Some things just didn't make any sense as they focused far too much on the fact that he's having fun with loads and loads of women. The thing with the portrait was rather ridiculous as well with it making this weird breathing sound and looking completely and utterly stupid . Some people laughed at it when they showed the portrait again at the end, don't think it was meant to be laughed at. Neither me and my friend got why there were maggots eating their way through the portrait as well ... But I'm going to watch it again tomorrow and will see if I might enjoy it more this time. Last time I was far too excited as my friend just called me 5 hours earlier telling me she had a ticket to the media screening for me. Being a Ben fan that meant quite a lot to me I think they tried to make it more obvious that his soul had gone rotten when reading the book you get the metaphor but perhaps they wanted to be a bit more 'in your face' with it. The portrait breathing scared me haha People laughed when Colin Firth gasped like a girl when the potrait was first unveiled. That was funny. I also thought the portrait looked stupid Was very annoying because there were lots of young teenage girls in the cinema and they kept giggling during the sex scenes I will have to look this Ben Barnes up... I've never heard of him before this :s Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) I wrote the following before I read this thread and am going to read back, so I don't know how my views will compare with those who have already posted! I took my Mum to see Dorian Gray this afternoon. We’ve both read the book and both thought it was excellent. Doran’s dark descent into badness is so well written and it also has one of the most abrupt endings I’ve come across - and was all the better for it. DO NOT READ THE SPOILER IF YOU HAVEN'T YET WATCHED THE FILM AND INTEND TO DO SO! The film adaptation, however, was simply dreadful. The script writers appear to have no regard for the actual story. I know from accidentally reading it in the paper (although we’d left the cinema before she arrived) that Lord Henry is given a daughter that doesn’t exist in the book, and Sibyl’s death is all wrong. Even the portrait was wrong - maggots coming out of its eyes, indeed - rubbish. And as for Dorian performing a sex act on the artist Basil Hallward - well, I think Mr Wilde would have been in prison long before he was sent to Reading Gaol if he had written that! Sure, there may have been implication that Basil was attracted to Dorian, but that's as far as it went. I suppose I might have enjoyed it more had I not read the book - it’s difficult to say - although I think it would have seemed very slow, but it seems such a shame to mess with a classic in this way. I think this is possibly the worst adaptation of a film that I’ve ever had the misfortune to (half) see and I’m surprised we made it a whole hour before deciding life’s too short and going home! Edited September 11, 2009 by Janet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I will have to look this Ben Barnes up... I've never heard of him before this He was Prince Caspian in the second Narnia film, as well as the young father of Tristran Thorn in Stardust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishbookworm Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 How does it compare to the book?kylie it was true to the book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 Thank you Janet, for verifying what I already knew to be true by seeing the trailers. kylie it was true to the book No it wasn't, I knew that without even seeing it, as I knew Lord Henry is given a non-existant daughter for one thing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scottishbookworm Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 I've read the book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 So should I not bother taking my mum to see it? We both love the book but I honestly don't know if it's something she would sit through having read what everyone thinks of the film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted September 11, 2009 Share Posted September 11, 2009 (edited) I've read the book Yeah, so have I, given that I own three copies of it and studied it in university after it was already a favourite of mine, and I can tell you, there is no Emily Wotton in the novel. Additionally, any homosexual undertones are just that, undertones, and when Janet says Sibyl's death is all wrong, I trust her. If anything it's a reinterpretation of the novel, not something that stays true to it. That's in no way a comment on the quality of the movie as an independant interpretation, but with changes like that it is NOT true to the novel. Edited September 11, 2009 by Nollaig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Regards to Sibyl's death, she was pregnant! Her brother arrived at Dorian's house to tell him of her death, returning the dress he'd bought her, and got carted off to an asylum! Scarletbella - I can't recommend this film anyway, but if you are taking your Mum I should perhaps say that there is a lot of sex. I wasn't particularly embarrassed watching with my Mum but I could have done without it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BookJumper Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Thank you, Janet, for rescuing me from my folly - I shall not be seeing this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted September 12, 2009 Share Posted September 12, 2009 Scarletbella - I can't recommend this film anyway, but if you are taking your Mum I should perhaps say that there is a lot of sex. I wasn't particularly embarrassed watching with my Mum but I could have done without it! Thanks Janet - that's definitely not my mum's cup of tea so if I do see it I think I'll go with a friend or wait for the dvd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissi Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 He was Prince Caspian in the second Narnia film, as well as the young father of Tristran Thorn in Stardust. Also played John Whittaker in Easy Virtue which also stars Colin Firth, Jessica Biel and Kristin Scott Thomas Oh, and he played a Russian in Bigga than Ben, but no one knows that one really What really annoyed me with the whole Sybil thing was that he leaves her in such a weird way and doesn't even seem to regret it much. In the book he was planning on going back the next morning and apologize. In the film he plays around with other girls and doesn't seem to care for Sybil any more. Another thing that annoyed me was the Emily Wotton thing. It's not even the fact that they gave Henry a daughter (although that obviously changes him, in the book he seemed more like he would never touch his wife in a way that you need to to make a baby ), it was more the relationship she had with Dorian. Did anyone actually believe they loved each other? There was no depth to it at all. Some of the cuts were very unprofessional as well, I could have done that better! Just watch this scene and you know what I mean: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSTp1SC1CsY Me and my friend giggled quit a lot yesterday, especially when the painting started breathing/moving and when that guy got run over by a train. Seems like back then trains where SO quiet that they would take you completely by surprise Oh, and if anyone thinks that the sex scenes were weird already then have a look at what they've cut out to actually achieve a "15" rather than a "18": http://www.bbfc.co.uk/website/Classified.nsf/0/1ac57fbddb2422c18025760b005fcfc3?OpenDocument&ExpandSection=3#_Section3 That director must have either a huge fantasy or a very disgusting sex life Good thing is, even if you hate the film you can still spend your time drooling over gorgeous Ben Barnes. That's what I did anyway Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mysterioso Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 Thank you, Janet, for rescuing me from my folly - I shall not be seeing this! Yep think I'll give it a miss as well.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MuggleMagic Posted September 14, 2009 Author Share Posted September 14, 2009 oh no! I really liked it. I'm not sure how it is doing on the movie box office though. As for the sex scenes - that doesn't bother me at all and I am completely open about stuff like that. Human nature and all. What annoyed me was the row of girls behind me that giggled everytime there was a dash of flesh on the screen! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 I'm going to see DG later on today but with a friend, not my mum who (bless her) still gets funny at sex scenes on tv and in films Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Sex doesn't bother me, believe me It's sex that wasn't in the original book, that bothers me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Unfortunately, if the powers that be think sex will get more people to watch Dorian Gray then that's what they're going to add. I first read DG 22 years ago and it's remained a favourite - if they've butchered it beyond all recognition I shall be walking out & asking for a refund. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nollaig Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Well based on what Janet said, they did butcher it. I'm probably going to watch it and come blazing into this thread raging about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fi. Posted September 14, 2009 Share Posted September 14, 2009 Well, I should be back from seeing the film about 6pm - look out for my review Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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