Algy (Rupert Everett) is Ernest and Jack (Colin Firth) is Ernest, but neither of them are earnest. The Importance of Being Earnest is the cinematic retelling of one of Oscar Wilde’s greatest works of the same name. The story depicts two men, the aforementioned Algy and Jack, who use the alter-ego “Ernest” when they travel outside of their normal lives and take part in shenanigans. As a result of their dishonesty an array of confusion ensues, and trouble is sure to follow.
The Importance of Being Earnest reminds me so much of William Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, as the main characters begin to embody new names and confusion occurs as a result. Wilde’s masterpiece obviously came more than two-hundred years after Shakespeare’s, but the play, and this film are nearly just as wonderfully entertaining and hilarious as Twelfth Night.
The reason the film finds so much success comes, in large part, as a result of the casting. Somehow the casting of Firth seems obvious, as if there were no other choice in the world. Firth fits the description of not only Jack, but of any character from 1890’s England. His demeanor is always even-keeled, simple, and interestingly honest. That honesty is a tad ironic in this case as, like mentioned above, Jack is quite the opposite. The Importance of Being Earnest highlights all that Firth has to offer, however, and he shines wonderfully throughout the course of the film. He’s both laid back and vigorous in his performance, capturing perfectly what Jack is meant to bring to the table.
Clearly Wilde was familiar with the times, as the play was written in the time period in which it takes place, but adapting a famous piece of literature by a modern team can sometimes pose some issues. Now, it’s been some time since I’ve read the play–eight or nine years if I’m correct–but to the best of my knowledge The Importance of Being Earnest stays true to Wilde’s vision. The mischievousness that exists throughout the film feels genuine and a testament to what Wilde created more than one-hundred years prior to the film’s release.
The reality is that The Importance of Being Earnest appeals to a very particular group of viewers. The comedy is subtle, somewhat sophisticated, and buried just beneath the surface beyond the very typical dialogue for the majority of the film. There are certainly times when the viewer must dissect, to a degree, what they are hearing and watching. However, while that incredibly subtle humor existed early on in the film, there is a moment around the one-hour mark that viewers are very suddenly introduced to a much more obvious sort of humor–and that comes at the hands of the four leads being together at the same time. Firth, Everett, Reese Witherspoon (Cecily), and Frances O’Connor (Gwendolen), work so well together and the comedy takes a sharp turn, becoming something even more entertaining than what viewers had seen through the first act of the film. Once this form of comedy arrives, viewers are far more entertained than they had been in the past, and the true brilliance of Wilde, the actors, and Writer-Director Oliver Parker is fully realized.
There’s no denying the talent of the world-famous Wilde–but his highly-regarded play comes to life in a new way with Firth, Everett, O’Connor, and Witherspoon leading the way. The Importance of Being Earnest may struggle to entertain some viewers, but the fact of the matter is that the comedy present in this film has the potential to entertain all that give it a chance. The Importance of Being Earnest is wildly funny, completely entertaining, and superbly acted–it’s more than fun, it’s earnest, and being earnest is the most important thing.
Directed by Oliver Parker.
Written by Oscar Wilde & Oliver Parker.
Starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Frances O’Connor, Reese Witherspoon, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Anna Massey, Edward Fox, Patrick Godfrey, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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