Iris (film)
From AwardAnnals
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| Director(s) | Richard Eyre |
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| Distributor | Miramax |
| Iris teems with fussy charm and the intimate joy found only in a lover’s foibles. Adapted from the memoirs of literary critic John Bayley, the film recounts his courtship of and long marriage to British novelist Iris Murdoch. The scenario tacks back and forth from the young Iris (Kate Winslet)—ready to seduce one and all with her coy command of words and sex appeal—to the elder Iris (Judi Dench)—slowly giving way to the cruel erasure of Alzheimer’s—and it is impossible not to be moved by the film’s denouement of loss. Ms. Dench is, as usual, resplendent,… | |
Reviews
Amazon.com
Iris teems with fussy charm and the intimate joy found only in a lover’s foibles. Adapted from the memoirs of literary critic John Bayley, the film recounts his courtship of and long marriage to British novelist Iris Murdoch. The scenario tacks back and forth from the young Iris (Kate Winslet)—ready to seduce one and all with her coy command of words and sex appeal—to the elder Iris (Judi Dench)—slowly giving way to the cruel erasure of Alzheimer’s—and it is impossible not to be moved by the film’s denouement of loss. Ms. Dench is, as usual, resplendent, tossing off literary quips, knowing glares, and razor-sharp metaphors with graceful ease. The pleasure Murdoch took in what must have been an extraordinary life is palpable every second Dench is onscreen. Jim Broadbent is also especially fine as the elder Bayley, steadfast in devotion and humor. The script, however, is painfully predictable and heavy-handed in its frequent use of symbolism (e.g., sheets of paper flying into the ocean, rocks slipping to the river’s bottom). Nevertheless, Iris evokes a passion for learning and intimacy worthy of its subject. —Fionn Meade
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A literary academic whose novels met with widespread commercial acclaim, the work of Iris Murdoch has a depth and elusiveness difficult to capture on screen. So for Iris, his first film as a director, Richard Eyre avoids the problematic novels and instead alternates the two phases of Murdoch’s life as related by her widower John Bayley in his books Iris: A Memoir and Elegy for Iris. We see the headstrong and captivating Oxford undergraduate with academia at her feet, drawn to the gauche Bayley on account of his sincerity and understanding of what she needs to achieve for herself. Kate Winslet has the right combination of vibrancy and thoughtfulness for the young Iris, with Hugh Bonneville sympathetic as Bayley.
The other phase reveals Murdoch near the end of her life, struggling to complete what would be her final novel and fulfil her public engagements as she succumbs to the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Judy Dench has given numerous fine screen performances, but none as gripping nor so heart-rending as the ageing writer who withdraws into her own world—to the consternation, anger, then acceptance of her husband, movingly played by Jim Broadbent. Cameos from such actors as Eleanor Bron and Timothy West add to the overall quality, as does Eyre’s lucid script, atmospheric location filming in and around Oxford, and an attractively low-key score from James Horner. Murdoch’s novels may in future receive the kind of filmic presentation that does them justice. For now, this poignant insight into episodes from the life of a great modern writer is a must-see. —Richard Whitehouse
Barnes and Noble
The marvelous Judi Dench reveals her versatility yet again, this time by conveying the heartbreaking sense of frustration that accompanies the dementia induced by Alzheimer’s disease. She’s totally convincing as British philosopher and novelist Iris Murdoch, a brilliant woman whose diminishing mental acuity gradually robs her of everything she once held dear. Lovingly attended to by her devoted husband, literary critic John Bayley (Jim Broadbent), Iris finds solace in the gradually receding memories of their days together as students. In extensive flashback sequences, Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville play the couple as adventurous 20-somethings, with Bonneville’s uncanny resemblance to Broadbent helping to sustain the illusion. Broadbent’s Oscar-winning performance is a wonder of subtlety, as he depicts Bayley’s pain at witnessing his formidable companion’s long and painful descent. Director Richard Eyre (The Ploughman’s Lunch) coaxes a subtle, carefully calibrated performance from Dench, who is both wistfully elegiac and passionately defiant, according to the script’s demands. A touching love story at heart, Iris never succumbs to despair; instead, this movie celebrates life while acknowledging its fragility. Ed Hulse
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Related works
Iris: Music from the Motion Picture
James Horner was faced with an unusual challenge when he composed the score for Iris, a film about Iris Murdoch’s descent into Alzheimer’s disease. In the movie, two actresses play the role of Murdoch, and scenes constantly shift between those showing the novelist as a young woman, played by Kate Winslet, and as an old, dying woman, played by Judi Dench. Horner solves the musical continuity problem of jumping backward and forward in time by writing solo violin parts that echo Murdoch’s emotions and tie the past and future together. Joshua Bell does an…
Iris: A Memoir of Iris Murdoch
Author and literary critic John Bayley was married to novelist Iris Murdoch until her death in February 1999. In this memoir he recounts their life together, up to and including their realization that Dame Iris was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
