Prick Up Your Ears
|
List Price: Our Price: $1.76 You Save: $2.18 (55%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $1.59 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Prick Up Your Ears
Movie Review: A great biographical representation.
Summary: 5 Stars
Joe Orton was the, "bit of rough", Leicester lad who became the voice of edgy, sexual charged playwriting in the 60's, exactly the kind of representaions peole were seeking at the time.
The film depicts his life and rise to fame beautifully, exploring his sexually charged adoloscence,his early admission to RADA, his emerging and confident sexuality and meeting with Halliwell, throught to his final success and the destruction of his realtionship with Halliwell which led to their deaths; Halliwell battered Joe to death with a hammer before overdosing himself on a barbiturate cocktail (bizarrely Halliwell died first). The casting is perfect and the lead actors are immensley evocative and emotive. There is a delicious cameo by Julie Walters as Orton's Mum, too afraid to answer the door to a theatre offical seeking Joe because she has left her teeth upstairs. Frances Barber is excellent and loyal as Joe's Sister, Vanessa Redgrave is slightly cold and bitchy as his agent, particularly with women. An excellent depiction of Joe's high octane, interesting and sadly short life, I was only sorry that the "Morrocan Holiday" scene did not feature a representaion of the comic actor Kenneth Williams(of "Carry On" fame), a dear freind of Joe's who often holidayed with Joe and Halliwell. Not an easy film but a very good and beautifully depicted one.
Fnas of Joe may wish to know that Leicester City Council have now marked the council house he grew up in with a blue plaque, it is situated off Saffron Lane, an estate of houses bulit in the 1930's.
Movie Review: Neglected classic
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the best film biographies of all time. Gary Oldman (fresh from his triumph in "Sid & Nancy") and Alfred Molina (the greatest actor of his generation - look at this film along with "Frida" and "Enchanted April" and ask yourself if you don't agree) play the in-your-face gay writers Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell. This film, based on the biography by John Lahr, tells their whole sorted story - how they met, became lovers, lived together, went to goal (apart from one another), and, finally, grew estranged as Orton found fame as playwright and Halliwell slipped into mental illness. The two leads should have received Oscar nominations for their work here (indeed this film, the director, Vanessa Redgrave and the screenplay should all have been nominated). Director Stephen Frears hasn't spared his audience any of the graphic details. Orton was a sexual compulsive who liked to pick up strangers in public lavatories and bus stations. The camera never flinches. It all here - even the gruesome way their story ends. Fascinating meterial. Don't miss this one. My one complaint about the DVD - no extras - nothing from the director, no documentary footage of Orton or any of his television appearances. I recommend Lahr's book, as well as Orton's plays and those wonderful "Orton Diaries."Movie Review: DVD Pick Up Your Ears
Summary: 5 Stars
DVD arrived in goodly time and in great quality... the movie itself wasn't as good as I had remembered it, but the service was A-1.Movie Review: A Well-Acted, Fascinating Biography
Summary: 4 Stars
I've been a huge fan of both Gary Oldman and Alfred Molina for years and I think they are both outstanding in this biography of the late British playwright Joe Orton.
Although most people think of Oldman from films like AIR FORCE ONE or the Harry Potter films and Molina from SPIDER-MAN 2, they are both some of the most dependable and most talented actors in films today.
PRICK UP YOUR EARS would be worth seeing for either one of these actors, but both of them make this an excellent film.
I would recommend it to anyone who likes them but I would also warn anyone about the film's openness about their characters' homosexuality. If you have a problem seeing men kissing, then you might want to take a pass (or just turn your head). I don't know. I wouldn't trick anyone into watching this movie without letting them know that the main characters are gay--and one of them loves to pick up strange men in London public bathrooms (called "cottages").
But this is a good movie with great performances. If you see and like this film, I would also recommend CARRINGTON with Jonathan Pryce and Emma Thompson.
Movie Review: A short life story of Joe Orton
Summary: 4 Stars
This was an entertaining film with suprizes. The production quality was good and the acting solid. I had no idea what to expect when I got this film and viewed it with an open mind. It is the life story of Joe Orton, Playwrite and all around character. A some what more modern Quentin Crisp although Mr. Crisp was bold and respectful and Mr. Orton was bold and much less concerned with being respectful. For his short life he was an Out, in your face sort. Gary Oldman did a masterful job of not only capturing the bold and harsh aspect of Orton but also did an outstanding job of letting us see the soft, tender and even semi-romantic feeling Orton had for his lover of ten years, Kennith. Just when your sure that Orton is cruel and cold, he shows you a loving act that that renews your hope. The acting made this film a great investment and the story is excellant. You will most likely want to add this to your collection as I did. It was an impressive film.