Rating: 

The Info

Directed by: Oliver Parker
Written by: Oliver Parker (based on Oscar Wilde's play)
Starring: Rupert Everett, Julianne Moore, Jeremy Northam, Cate Blanchett, Minnie Driver
Produced by: Bruce Davey, Uri Fruchtmann, Barnaby Thompson

The Nutshell

An ambitious politician is blackmailed by his wife's former schoolmate.

The Review

    In modern day America, everyone is familiar with the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal. In looking at the thousands of documents and piles of evidence concerning the sandal, one very important fact comes to light that could be used as a creed or mantra for ambitious people. If you do something corrupt in your life, make sure there is no evidence! In Clinton's case, the main evidence might be the stained dress with his DNA on it. For the Una-Bomber, his evidence was the journals he kept in his shack. In An Ideal Husband, a single hand-written letter is enough to turn an aspiring political leader's life upside-down.

    Sir Robert Chiltern (Northam) is a young, handsome, wholesome politician with a wife, Lady Gertrud, as equally pure. His life is a wonder of continuous rise in power, established wealth, respect from his friends and deep love from Gertrud. His current project is the scuttling of the Suez Canal project, which he sees as a waste of money. Unfortunately, a noblewoman from Vienna, Mrs. Laura Cheveley (Moore), has other plans for him. Mrs. Cheveley has a letter that Sir Chiltern wrote years earlier, showing that he once unethically made money using secret government files. She tells Sir Chiltern to change his position in parliament and back the canal project, or else his political life is ruined.

   Mrs. Cheveley isn't the only character to toy with others in Ideal Husband. Oliver Parker's film has two other nobles mingling through societal circles, looking good while doing little. There's Lord Goring (Everett), an extremely self-centred nobleman content to idly waste each day, much to the disgust of his father the Earl of Caversham, and  Robert's sister Mabel (Driver) who amuses both herself and Goring with witty banter and poorly hidden love.

    Sir Chiltern and Lady Gertrud are the most respectable couple in town. The Lady Gertrud in particular is a stickler for honesty and integrity. Because of these straight and narrow qualities, the couple appears a little boring compared to the rest of the cast. Oscar Wilde probably made Gertrud as prudish as she is to highlight the ego of Lord Goring and the malice of Mrs. Cheveley. As Goring, Rupert Everett has a ton of fun. Obviously enjoying himself in the role, Everett makes Goring the most self-centred character to grace a film this year. Goring doesn't hide his self-adoration either, saying to his butler "To love one's self is the beginning of a lifelong romance." He also is quite fastidious about fashion, declaring "a well-made buttonhole is the difference between art and nature." Despite his appearances, though, Goring goes out of his way to help friends in need, and cares for Gertrud deeply. He is also rather fond of Mabel, enjoying the playful games of cat and mouse they play together. Julianne Moore shines as Mrs. Cheveley, as she displays poise, gracefulness and the most conniving brain since Cruella DeVille. Cheveley lets nothing, not even Lord Goring (a former love) stand in the way of her plans. She is so self-assured that even when something goes wrong, she manages to make others think it went right.

    As with many period pieces, Oliver Parker and cinematographer David Johnson have created a grandiose England full of beautiful mansions, perfectly-crafted gardens and wardrobes that any high school drama club would die for. You get a sense that the world of the rich was nothing more than discussions and arguments back then. No wonder Lord Goring and Mabel have so much time for idle chatter! In our world, where things like integrity and honour have fallen by the wayside, it is invigorating to watch a film that reminds us of how things (maybe) used to be. An Ideal Husband reminds us of what our society has lost, but more importantly, it provides a lot of laughs, and a good feeling inside that is most welcome.

Copyright - Tim Chandler

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