Absolutely brilliant

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Set in Victorian London, a wealthy, free-wheeling young man, Dorian Gray (played by Ben Barnes) yearns for eternal youth. He achieves this by making a deal with the devil. However, a painting reveals the cost of this pact.Great adaptation of the Oscar Wilde novel. Excellent plot, as you would expect. Edgy, dark direction, with great CGI and settings.Great performances from Ben Barnes, Colin Firth and Ben Chaplin. Colin Firth is particularly good, delivering all the quotable Wilde-isms with perfect timing and cynicism. Ben Barnes' transformation from innocent boy to cynical, evil old man is very convincing.

The novel is like a play itself; it's one of those books that would look best on the screen just as they are, line by line.Far from that, in the movie, they make a very bold -and unrealistic, from my point of view- interpretation of Lord Henry Wotton's character, and some serious changes in the story development.Scenes that looked great in the book were changed with no apparent object but the desire of being original, and other good scenes from the novel simply didn't make it into the movie.While eroticism in the novel is only suggested with sharp delicacy, it adds some explicit, unstylish scenes to the movie.Only good thing I can point out is Colin Firth's acting. I already thought he was perfect for the role before knowing about the film.The story is so different from that of the book that I'm really amazed at how some people dare say it's as good an adaptation as they could expect. It's not just that I have seen far better than this in other book adaptations, but this is really one of the worst I have ever watched.Finally, since, besides Colin Firth's acting, everything good about the movie is what little was taken from the novel -and also looked better in the novel-, I must say this movie has no credit of its own, therefore, I consider it terrible.

WOW I cannot believe the rating on this film at IMDb - it's lower than I expected it to be. And several negative comments about it too yet I do find others that enjoyed the movie as much as I did, giving it good reviews.I personally liked this Gothic version of Dorian Gray - well acted out and the scenery and sets are beautiful! As far as the story goes - I very much liked it. I realize there are changes from the book which is nothing unusual. So many films are different from the book and yes sometimes criticized harshly for the changes OR they are praised for it.Ben Barnes is a nice looking man in my opinion. That is just a matter of personal preference as to if you think someone is nice looking or not. Not everyone will agree on who is the perfect man to play Dorian Gray. So those that review this movie and bash Ben Barnes' looks should think twice - and remember that everyone will not agree on who is "good looking" enough for this role! The truth is NO ONE is.... NO ONE is so good looking and charming that they can seduce almost anyone -- that's the fantasy and fiction aspect of this fictional story! The movie is very good and should not be dismiss as bad because some people didn't like the film. Simply watch it an judge for yourselves.10/10

"I am what you made me! I lived the life that you preached... but never dared practice. I am everything, that you were too afraid to be."Dorian Gray is the third film Oliver Parker has directed based on the work of one of the greatest Irish writers of all time, Oscar Wilde. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is Wilde's only written novel and perhaps one of his most famous works which was censored at the time due to the source material. It has become a masterpiece for Wilde's sharp critique towards the aestheticism of Victorian society. This double life that Wilde's novel captured perfectly didn't really resonate with me in the film. I found it un-engaging and dull with characters that weren't developed really well. Dorian is completely hedonistic and there was nothing about him that made me believe that the people would be so sympathetic towards him. This double life he lived wasn't explored as well in the movie because everyone saw him as he really was, young and beautiful but completely hedonistic. Lord Henry Wooton's influence on him is the main theme in this film as he is the one that introduces Dorian to this lifestyle which he immediately embraces. Despite its good production, I felt the film wasted its potential and lost its appeal quickly. The screenplay was loosely adapted by Toby Finlay. The film begins with the arrival of the young Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) to Victorian London. He has inherited a huge estate from his abusive grandfather. Dorian is a nice and naive young man who is quickly swept away with the charismatic Lord Henry Wooton (Colin Firth). Lord Henry also feels attracted to Dorian and reminds him to take advantage of his beauty and youth because it won't last forever. He introduces Dorian to the several pleasures the city has to offer. Lord Henry is married to Lady Victoria (Emilia Fox), but he isn't faithful to her. Lord Henry's artist friend, Basil (Ben Chaplin) also feels admiration for Dorian who hires him to paint a special portrait of him that will capture his youthfulness and beauty. When Basil finished his painting, everyone is entranced by it and it becomes one of the painter's best work. Dorian adores it so much that he makes a pledge saying that he will give his soul to maintain that youthfulness forever. As he becomes more and more obsessed with the painting he begins living a life of debauchery and hedonism. Nothing affects him, as the painting absorbs all his scars and unveils what his soul truly looks like. Dorian hides the painting and lets everyone see him as this beautiful and youthful young man.Ben Barnes gives a decent performance but his character did lack more depth. It was very difficult to engage with him as he becomes completely obsessed with maintaining his youthful appearance. I couldn't see that spark that I needed to see from him to believe that all the Victorian society would become so obsessed with him. Colin Firth is a great actor and he played a key role in this film as he is the main influence for Dorian's narcissistic obsession. However I never felt this guy could have such an important influence in Dorian's life, he was lacking that magnetism. The addition of Rebecca Hall's character in the second half of the film didn't help either. I couldn't help but feel this film was missing something and it fails to draw the audience in. Dorian Gray is just too explicit in its portrayal of debauchery and nothing is left for the viewer to imagine.