We have a section in the store of movies that usually aren't very good. They defy the normal rule of "If it has a blu-ray version, chances are it's high budget!". This same section is home to exemplary movies like "The Chosen One". Dorian Gray was in this general area for a good month or two, and I never really had the urge to give it a shot. After hearing several good reviews on it though from various customers, I decided to throw caution to the wind and rent it.
The story takes place during the good old Victorian era of London, where according to just about every movie that takes place there, is completely infested with all sorts of nasty devils, vampires, and werewolves. This movie is no exception. Naive young Dorian Gray becomes friends with the legendary womanizer Henry Wotton, who transforms him from innocent 20something year old to party animal in a little less than a week.
Dorian commissions a painter to create a self portrait, and somehow becomes "cursed" with immortality via a link to the painting. Dorian can do whatever he pleases, from consuming loads of drugs and alcohol, to having sex with just about everyone (and I do mean everyone, he explores BOTH sides of the spectrum) without ANY physical consequences. The painting takes the brunt of all of it instead.
This movie has a long "learn about the characters" period. It literally took 40 minutes to get to the premise of the film. Assuming you make it past those 40...long...slow...minutes, it actually improves dramatically. For the entire introductory period I was ready to give up, but as soon as it hit that peak, I couldn't stop watching.
If you have 2 hours to burn, and don't mind a slow start, this movie gets pretty freakin awesome. I just wish they could have shaved off some of that beginning boringness.
Dorian Gray gets a 3/5 for making me second guess those 25+ movies I have turned off in the first half hour.
The story takes place during the good old Victorian era of London, where according to just about every movie that takes place there, is completely infested with all sorts of nasty devils, vampires, and werewolves. This movie is no exception. Naive young Dorian Gray becomes friends with the legendary womanizer Henry Wotton, who transforms him from innocent 20something year old to party animal in a little less than a week.
Dorian commissions a painter to create a self portrait, and somehow becomes "cursed" with immortality via a link to the painting. Dorian can do whatever he pleases, from consuming loads of drugs and alcohol, to having sex with just about everyone (and I do mean everyone, he explores BOTH sides of the spectrum) without ANY physical consequences. The painting takes the brunt of all of it instead.
This movie has a long "learn about the characters" period. It literally took 40 minutes to get to the premise of the film. Assuming you make it past those 40...long...slow...minutes, it actually improves dramatically. For the entire introductory period I was ready to give up, but as soon as it hit that peak, I couldn't stop watching.
If you have 2 hours to burn, and don't mind a slow start, this movie gets pretty freakin awesome. I just wish they could have shaved off some of that beginning boringness.
Dorian Gray gets a 3/5 for making me second guess those 25+ movies I have turned off in the first half hour.
