Review of Prick Up Your Ears (1987) by Laura L — 19 Feb 2009
With this being a biopic about a playwright I didn't know anything about, I thought it would just turn out to be a mushy melodramatic mess. I was wrong. This film is great in blending tragedy and comedy.
The comedic elements really emphasized the dark wit of Orton. I love the Brits for their black humour, and this film certainly has great moments of it. The sickest and funniest scene is when Orton gives his mother's false teeth to one of the actors before they go on stage.
I thought the ending was slightly humorous, and that might make me a sick person. Halliwell's face while he is murdering Orton is suprisingly funny. That scene creates an explanation for the conflict between Orton's dramatic life off stage and the humour in his plays.
While Oldman is brilliant as always in this, Alfred Molina's perfomance as the pathetic and brutish Halliwell is what really shines through.
This review of Prick Up Your Ears (1987) was written by Laura L on 19 February 2009.
Prick Up Your Ears has generally received positive reviews.
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