Film Review: The Happy Prince

Rupert Everett was always going to play Oscar Wilde, just like Stephen Fry was always going to play Oscar Wilde. Everett has long expressed admiration for Wilde's satirical wit, and has starred in adaptations of The Importance Of Being Ernest and An Ideal Husband.

But here, in his directorial debut, Everett plays Wilde himself, with an empathy and authenticity that can be attributed to both his talent as an actor, and the parallels between both men's careers.
Once a hugely celebrated A-list actor who enjoyed hits such as My Best Friend's Wedding, Everett saw his career stall for years after he came out publicly.

No wonder, then, that he can convey Wilde's ego, joy, humiliation and bitterness, in scenes where wealthy men who rapturously applauded at the opening night of The Importance Of Being Ernest now threaten his life.

The Happy Prince has a non-chronological structure, jumping between Wilde's era of social and professional triumphs, the infamous trial where he was charged for engaging in homosexual acts, and the painful three years before his death from meningitis in 1900. The idiosyncratic timeline isn't the only directorial flourish.

There's a retelling of The Happy Prince, and Everett uses his camera not as a tool to observe Wilde's life, but to portray Wilde's own view of the world. Raucous nights in taverns are swirling and delirious; during Wilde's lowest moments, the world seems grey and looming, while the object of his affection, Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas (Colin Morgan), is bathed in a warm glow.

Self-indulgence becomes Wilde's nemesis, and Everett's too. The occasionally stuffy stylistic flourishes and heavy-handed writing mean the film's pace staggers, and prevent a deeper exploration of its protagonist's struggle. This finally emerges during the final act, which is deeply poignant.

Everett definitely hasn't killed the thing he loves; he has paid an imperfect tribute. It's still worthwhile, though, and occasionally great.

Directed by Rupert Everett. Starring Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Colin Morgan, Edwin Thomas, Emily Watson, Tom Wilkinson. In cinemas June 22.

Rating: 3.5 / 5