esrosedotblog

Joe Orton wrote comedies that were very edgy for their times.

His life was not too different than the plays but less funny.

Today's Stephen Frears' film about Orton and his lover Kenneth Hallowell who killed Orton in a fit of, well, just a fit. They didn't get along very well.

Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

Gary Oldman is Orton, Alfred Molina is Hallowell and to bring it all together they have Vanessa Redgrave as Orton's agent. Wallace Shawn is the reporter to whom Redgrave tells the story. A play within a play about plays.

I think that Molina runs away with it. He is very good. Self pity run amok.

I give it a 5 out of Netflix5 because it is quite a wonderful, albeit upsetting film.

Labels: films, gay films