I was surprised to realise that a few unfortunate people have not yet discovered "The Importance of Being Earnest", a classic comedy of manners which I am sure must be the most well known of Oscar Wilde's plays, in which two young gentlemen pretend their names are Ernest to impress their respective beloveds. This DVD version is a splendid introduction to the work of this great playwright, and a wonderful revisit for those who have already experienced the enjoyment of his astute way with words. In this intriguing tale, it seems that everybody loves Ernest, but nobody is quite sure who he really is! I shall not try to describe the cleverly convoluted plot. Just see it for yourself, preferably in this movie version which is blessed with perfect casting. Judy Dench is the imperious Lady Bracknell. "To lose one parent may be regarded as misfortune; to lose both looks likes carelessness." Frances McDormand plays her daughter Gwendolen. "I never travel without my diary; one should always have something sensational to read in the train." Rupert Everett is Lady Bracknell's nephew Algernon (alias Ernest) Moncrieff. "The only way to behave to a woman is to make love to her if she is pretty and to someone else if she is plain." Reese Witherspoon plays his love Cecily. "It would hardly have been a serious engagement if I had not broken it off at least once, Ernest." And Colin Firth is her guardian Jack (alias Ernest) Worthing, who is forced to acknowledge that "I have now realised for the first time in my life the vital Importance of Being Earnest."
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