Dorian Gray

Is it bad that I pick movies based on the cute boys who are in them? Ben Barnes is not hard to look at. Except when he is raptly gazing about London with such an expression of naive innocence that he seems to be putting on an act. (Which he is, of course, but we are not supposed to be reminded of this fact while watching a movie.)

But Ben Barnes is not the only reason I watched this movie. We're back to that compulsion of watching every available film adaptation of the books I read.

It's difficult to avoid comparing the movie to the excellent book. Where the book was more nuanced and subtle, the movie was more creepified and overt. The book was intriguing and thought-provoking, but the movie took the book's concept and created what might almost be called a horror movie (or at least a thriller) out of it. The basic story is the same, and I even recognized a couple of direct quotes from the book, but overall the movie is given that distinct Hollywood sheen.

Not that this is entirely a bad thing. The movie made use of aspects of the medium that are not available in print, and this is as it should be. If a movie has nothing to add, why even make it in the first place? Anyway, as book-to-movie adaptations go, they did a fairly good job with this one; and, when I attempt to look at the movie as its own entity, I think it makes a perfectly entertaining and enjoyable way to spend an evening. Especially if you get to drink a glass of wine while watching.