Importance of Being Earnest

Like the play, I thought the movie was entertaining and I enjoyed it very much. The movie accurately portrayed the play, and captured the humor prevalent in the play. The characters were well cast, and I specially loved Judy Dench as Lady Bracknell. Judy Dench portrayed Lady Bracknell exactly as I had imagined with her presumptuousness and brashness. The actor that played Algernon also portrayed him very accurately. His character is illustrated and shines through even though the movie makes slight changes from the play. The movie changed the setting from Algernon’s flat to places throughout London in the first Act. Although I would have kept Act 1 in Algernon’s flat for a more intimate setting between Algernon and Jack, the movie does a good job of reiterating the bachelorhood of Algernon and showcasing his character in the beginning of the movie. Algernon and Jack attend several places, such as a cabaret type setting where there are showgirls dancing on stage. Gwendolyn and Cecily were precise also showcasing their characters very well, and I particularly liked how the movie often showed Algernon as Cecily’s “knight in shining armor.” Despite the first Act, there is nothing that I would have done differently about the movie. The movie was very accurate in staying with the script, and the characters were all perfect for their roles. Besides changing the order of a few scenes, the movie did a great job portraying the play and keeping the humor and satire intended by Oscar Wilde. The frivolousness and shallowness of the characters is seen in the movie as intended in the play.