Too many fans seem to be blown away

In other words,this film is a surreal ride.

Great movie. Not sure what people expected but I found it highly entertaining.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

Last night, I read Oscar Wilde's classic comedy 'The Importance of Being Earnest' for the first time after having wished to read it for quite some time, and it really was a delightful experience. I was excited to soon after see the widely praised 1952 film adaptation of the same name, which I did today, and my excitement was met with a wonderful little movie that stayed greatly true to the source material. Perhaps one could say it is so close to the source material there is little point in it really being a film, but the thing is the performances here are quite splendid, as are the technical aspects of the film, though they are quite subtle and minimalistic. The technicolor cinematography is astonishing for the eyes, and the acting on all fronts captures Wilde's wondrous wit well. Some performances I could dare claim are absolutely perfect, the two coming first to mine being the performances from Michael Denison and Edith Evans who embody almost exactly what it seems Oscar Wilde would have had in mind. Obviously, it is wonderfully written and very funny, and makes up a very entertaining and enjoyable 95 minutes.

Copyright 10 March 1953 by British Film Makers, Ltd. (In notice: 1952). Released in the U.S. by Universal International Films: 22 December 1952. New York opening at the Baronet: 22 December 1952. U.K. release through General Film Distributors: 1 September 1952. Australian release through British Empire Films: 11 December 1952. SYNOPSIS: Two young men-about-town lead double lives. One is a sophisticated worldly in London and a doting guardian in Hertfordshire; the other uses an imaginary relative to cover his sprees. COMMENT: There may have been no particular reason for filming "Ernest" in 1952, but this is certainly a splendid example of how to go about it. Asquith and his associates have captured the style and elegance of the period with admirable skill and expertise. This Technicolor film is a delight to the eye, a choice parade of period wallpaper and nineteenth-century bric-a-brac. The players fit the mood perfectly, bringing to their work an over-emphasis that is part of the style of the play.The most interesting role in the story is that of Lady Bracknell, an aristocratic bulldozer. This character was well known to be one of the most famous portraits in the gallery of Edith Evans, so it is great to see it on the screen.Michael Redgrave and Michael Denison play the two secretive young men with just the right amount of flourish. Dorothy Tutin proved a very interesting and decorative new-comer in a placid little part. Oddly, her movie career never really took off. Although she is listed with no less than 54 titles at IMDb, this is the only one I could recall. Mind you, aside from "The Beggar's Opera", "A Tale of Two Cities", "Cromwell" and :Savage Messiah", most of her acting was in TV series episodes.This is not a film which will cause you to fall off your chair, laughing. Its virtues are theatrical, literary and ornamental. But it is an effective and faithful adaptation of Wilde's play. ANOTHER VIEW: Well, when I caught up with the movie again on TV, I laughed. Often. Loud. Particularly in the First Act. Perhaps the play doesn't really suit a big screen and plays better in a more intimate atmosphere. And about 95% of the film is the same as the play. But disregarding the fact that the order and locality of some scenes has been changed, only about 85% of the play is represented in the film. Asquith has an irritating habit of cutting Wilde's wittiest lines. But with such a stylishly Victorian production and such charismatic playing (even from the normally dull Michael Denison), only the most rabid purists will notice.

This is a comedy (play) by Oscar Wilde. Two Victorian bachelors have to reveal some of their secrets as they arrange to tie the knot. This film (play) is too urbanely clever and witty by half (unfortunately not a compliment).I am an average viewer who had never heard of this play until I started watching it. I had of course heard of Oscar Wilde and that kept me watching this period piece that is a trial to get through. If you are one of those who find Punch magazine riotously funny and long for the Harvard Yale game you might like it. No modern normal person will.Other reviews suggest Wilde loathed the type characters portrayed in the play. I hope so and maybe I should re-watch it as a parody of sorts but I don't have the energy to digest the tons of dialogue. I read Dorian Gray years ago and found it also stilted a tiresome read. The descriptions of London's upper class society were boring and forced some of that same feeling comes across in this play.One reviewer stated that Earnest was a code word for homosexual if so that is amusing. (I am gay). The Netflix streaming version was colorized so heavily it distracted watch it in black and white if you can.DO NOT RECOMMEND. Gets 2 extra stars as the Earnest hidden joke thing may be true.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST has had several reincarnations on film but this British version from the '50s, directed by Anthony Asquith and starring MICHAEL REDGRAVE (as one of the men assuming the name Earnest), is one of the most satisfying because of a splendid cast.The Victorian comedy of manners includes impeccable performances from EDITH EVANS as Lady Bracknell and MARGARET RUTHERFORD as Miss Prism with a delightful leading lady role for JOAN GREENWOOD, as one of the young ladies confused by identity crisis. MICHAEL DENISON is the snobbish other man using the name "Earnest".So many typical Oscar Wilde witticisms come through in the dialog, so fast and furious that it's impossible to remember all of the very quotable comments made by the participants in this wonderfully played farce. I love one particular line: "One should always bring one's diary along when traveling by train. It gives you something sensational to read." Summing up: What's in a name? Plenty.Just as wonderful as the more recent version with Rupert Everett. Asquith's clever direction is right on target to spice up the comedy from beginning to end with sparkling performances, as only the British can do. Benjamin Frankel's sprightly score is an added delight.