Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

	Directed by: Stephen Frears	COUNTRY United Kingdom GENRE Drama/Biography/ Comedy NORWEGIAN TITLE I gode og onde dager RUNNING TIME 111 minutes
	Produced by: Andrew Brown
	Written by (based on a book by John Lahr): Alan Bennett

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
Joe Orton	Gary Oldman
Kenneth Halliwell	Alfred Molina	½
Peggy Ramsay	Vanessa Redgrave
Leonie Orton	Frances Barber
Mrs. Sugden	Janet Dale
Elsie Orton	Julie Walters
John Lahr	Wallace Shawn

Review

Gary Oldman and Alfred Molina give virtuoso performances as the tragic gay couple Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell – two of Britain's first openly homosexual intellectuals/celebrities. Oldman is a delight to watch as Orton – physically transformed/distinct with minimal alterations, giving a daring, carefree, multilayered performance filled with charm, confidence, passion and spite. He is sexy for all the wrong reasons (as usual). Alongside him, a harrowing, deep and exposing performance by Molina, whose character provides the film with both its sanity and insanity – all wrapped in Stephen Frears' clever and playful handling of a serious subject matter. He brings the right amount of satire and distance while at the same time retaining the story's sentiment and relevance, well helped by screenwriter Alan Bennett's refreshing dialogue.

Copyright © 29.11.2010 Fredrik Gunerius Fevang

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