Directed by:
Richard EyreCinematography:
Roger PrattComposer:
James HornerCast:
Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Hugh Bonneville, Penelope Wilton, Nancy Carroll, Eleanor Bron, Kris Marshall, Samuel West, Juliet Aubrey (more)Plots(1)
Judi Dench and Kate Winslet bring to the screen one of the most extraordinary women of the 20th century, celebrated English author Iris Murdoch. As told by her unlikely soulmate, husband John Bayley, Iris first became known as a brilliant young scholar at Oxford whose boundless spirit dazzled those around her. Then, during her remarkable career as a novelist and philosopher, she continued to prove herself a woman ahead of her time. Even in later life, as age and illness robbed Iris of her remarkable gifts, nothing could diminish her immense influence or weaken the bond with her devoted husband. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (2)
Iris is a very (really very) moving story about a woman who, due to illness, begins to lose her own personality and the very essence of her life over time. The intertwining of the two timelines feels a bit chaotic at first, but this settles down over time and the end result feels good and purposeful. I found the more impressive line to be the one from the present day, as it was much more challenging in terms of acting, and both Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent played their roles to perfection and gave breathtaking performances. Of course Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville were convincing too, but the "older couple" wins. In short, an incredibly sweet and sad film with a slight musical component that is all about love in its most devoted and purest form.
Rivals
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Iris is another case of the depth of the subject being stronger than its cinematic execution. A colleague who is well versed in Iris Murdoch’s novels argued that my lack of knowledge of her work was the reason for my cold impression of the film. But I didn’t know anything about John Nash either and A Beautiful Mind moved me, because that film was able to show me his story in the most captivating way. This film is subtle and sophisticated, but it’s also as dull and unremarkable as Iris’s gradual departure into eternal darkness. If it weren’t for the great acting, it would have been nothing more than a bland and quickly forgettable made-for-TV movie.
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