[.ca] Prick Up Your Ears

From Amazon.com:
Joe Orton was briefly the embodiment of a certain kind of '60s rebel, and Stephen Frears's film adaptation of the British playwright's biography successfully conjures up that outrageous spirit. The hostile, fussy codependency between Orton (Gary Oldman) and his brooding lover Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina) forms the centerpiece of a story that features not only Orton's success and his brutal demise at Halliwell's hand, but also a vivid depiction of what gay sexuality meant in a repressive era. What really propels it are the performances--Oldman's naughty, overgrown boy could believably have written Orton's romps, and the powder-keg priss rendered by Molina helps establish motivations that the script lacks. It's always good to see Vanessa Redgrave (ideal as Orton's agent), and Julie Walters has a hysterically unrecognizable bit as Orton's exasperated mum. If the film is a bit aloof, it's also crisp and often acidly funny (Orton and Halliwell do jail time for writing luridly phony synopses in library books). Frears has done a memorable bit in bringing both a man and his time to life. --Steve Wiecking

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!:
Am thrilled that it's finally being released on DVD. If you haven't seen it -- beautiful performances, fascinating subject. You won't be disappointed.

Hide the sausage??:
If you're into sausage movies, then this ones for you. Gary Oldman likes to turn tricks on other men in the bathroom. As you can tell from Oldmans conviceable performance, he didn't have to take any acting lessons for this role. Hint Hint.

comedy?:
who in their right mind could consider this film as a comedy?

WOW:
The spirit of Britian's bad-boy-playwright of the 1960s is alive and well in this blackly funny biography that follows the life of sexually outrageous and verbally vicious Joe Orton from street-level nobody to unexpected fame as London's most celebrated "mod" writer. Gary Oldman gives the performance of a lifetime as Joe, and Alfred Molina is equally effective as the prissy lover who cannot accept that he is slowly but surely being left behind. The direction, cinematography, script, and supporting cast are extraordinary, and PRICK UP YOUR EARS is as funny, shocking, and perverse as Joe Orton himself.

A short life story of Joe Orton:
This was an entertaining film with suprizes. The production quality was good and the acting solid. I had no idea what to expect when I got this film and viewed it with an open mind. It is the life story of Joe Orton, Playwrite and all around character. A some what more modern Quentin Crisp although Mr. Crisp was bold and respectful and Mr. Orton was bold and much less concerned with being respectful. For his short life he was an Out, in your face sort. Gary Oldman did a masterful job of not only capturing the bold and harsh aspect of Orton but also did an outstanding job of letting us see the soft, tender and even semi-romantic feeling Orton had for his lover of ten years, Kennith. Just when your sure that Orton is cruel and cold, he shows you a loving act that that renews your hope. The acting made this film a great investment and the story is excellant. You will most likely want to add this to your collection as I did. It was an impressive film.