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Amazon.co.uk Review
Based on John Lahr's biography of the same name and co-written by Alan Bennett, Prick Up Your Ears charts the 16-year relationship between the monstrously talented but deeply selfish playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman), author of West End farces such as Loot and What the Butler Saw, and his neurotic but nevertheless wronged lover and collaborator Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina). Halliwell introduced Orton to art, literature and gay sex only to see his protégeacute; outstrip his mentor with innate and rampant talent for sexual conquest. By turns hilarious and excoriatingly painful, it's as much a tribute to an anti-hero of our times-Orton's ruthless frankness and anarchic mindset helped form the basis of what's called the "queer" sensibility today--as it is a portrait of the Swinging 60s just after the reform of anti-homosexuality laws irrevocably changed society. The modern-day framing device has Lahr (Wallace Shawn) researching his book through interviews with Peggy Ramsay (Vanessa Redgrave), Orton's agent and the diary he wrote, a nimble device which ends up drawing a provocative parallel between Orton and Halliwell's relationship and that of Lahr and his wife (Lindsay Duncan). Director Stephen Frears, fresh off the back of the also-gay-themed My Beautiful Laundrette, nimbly balances our sympathies for both the protagonists while the leads give what may in retrospect look like the standout performances of their careers: Oldman was never more feral and charming, while Molina, foppishingly fretting over his wig and decrying that his lover "even sleeps better than I do" is simply heartbreaking. --Leslie Felperin
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
A new and special edition of this 1987 film starring Gary Oldman before his downfall, brings the life of Joe Orton to the screen. In doing some research as to why yet another re-release was needed to be, I found out through searching the internet these extra added features:
DVD special features:
Interview With Stephen Frears.
Recollections Of Leonie Barnett.
1967 Interview Of Joe Orton With Eamonn Andrews.
Subtitles:
English Hard Of Hearing
Just the thought of seeing a filmed interview with the real-life Joe Orton, if that is indeed what is presented here, is well worth the price of admission to this colorful and remarkable piece of gay cinema. Hopefully in the future, there may be a full fledge documentary on Joe Orton as he seems to be still a rather mysterious but playful and original playright of the twentieth century.
DVD special features:
Interview With Stephen Frears.
Recollections Of Leonie Barnett.
1967 Interview Of Joe Orton With Eamonn Andrews.
Subtitles:
English Hard Of Hearing
Just the thought of seeing a filmed interview with the real-life Joe Orton, if that is indeed what is presented here, is well worth the price of admission to this colorful and remarkable piece of gay cinema. Hopefully in the future, there may be a full fledge documentary on Joe Orton as he seems to be still a rather mysterious but playful and original playright of the twentieth century.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This is a great film that is really best seen on the big screen. It was a revelation to see it recently in the cinema since you can see all the detail of the collage in the Noel Road flat plus you realise how much of the sex scenes have been cut from the DVD version. I would say the DVD is a good 10 minutes shorter than the cinema version. Both are still mono too which is a shame since the song "By the sea!" which they sing as they run on the beach in Tangier with all the Moroccan boys would have benefitted by being in glorious stereo.
That said this is still an outstanding study of one man on the up (Orton) and another on the down (Halliwell). We only see Halliwell after he meets Orton so we see nothing of his early life during WW2, his acting in Scotland, his unpleasant father etc, but we do see the young Orton as he struggles to be an actor in Leicester. So it is a bit of a lop-sided portrayal of the two men, possibly concentrating a bit too much on Halliwell's misery. (He wasn't always like that of course.) The scenes from their flat and London life are authentic and Alan Bennett's script is just as sharp as the one he wrote for the film "A Private Function". A better film could probably be made but it would have to delve more deeply into Halliwell's early life to satisfy me. Until then this biopic by Stephen Frears will do nicely.
That said this is still an outstanding study of one man on the up (Orton) and another on the down (Halliwell). We only see Halliwell after he meets Orton so we see nothing of his early life during WW2, his acting in Scotland, his unpleasant father etc, but we do see the young Orton as he struggles to be an actor in Leicester. So it is a bit of a lop-sided portrayal of the two men, possibly concentrating a bit too much on Halliwell's misery. (He wasn't always like that of course.) The scenes from their flat and London life are authentic and Alan Bennett's script is just as sharp as the one he wrote for the film "A Private Function". A better film could probably be made but it would have to delve more deeply into Halliwell's early life to satisfy me. Until then this biopic by Stephen Frears will do nicely.
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:VHS Tape
This true story, based on John Lahr's biography of the playwright Joe Orton, is not for the squeamish. Orton (author of 'Loot' and 'Entertaining Mr Sloane' and real-life friend of Kenneth Williams) is played brilliantly by Gary Oldman, while his partner, the less successful and thus increasingly bitter Kenneth Halliwell, is recreated by Alfred Molina. Fond of picking up men in the public toilets of London, Orton lives life to the full, knowing no self-control whatsoever. His rise to fame is meteoric, while Halliwell - portrayed as possibly the better artist - is never recognised. Orton's brutal murder at the close of the film is a heart-stopping shock - but it's portrayed as it actually happened - he was beaten to death with a hammer by his lover, before Halliwell took his own life with an overdose.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
okay but ....
Remember seeing this when it first came out , but didnt enjoy it so much this time , maybe the best bits had been cut for dvd ? Read more
Published 9 months ago by cartoon
cruel love, the emergence of talent, and self destruction
I saw this 20 years ago and remembered it vividly. Having recently added it to my collection, I can confirm that it has aged well and lost none of its hilarious pungency. Read more
Published 12 months ago by rob crawford
a brave attempt
Having read Joe Ortons diaries but having repeatedly missed this film adaptation on its showing on film 4, i decided to look for a copy of the film, the cast in the most part are... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Robert K. Macdonald
Really brings Orton to life
A brilliant film portrayal of one of the greatest 60's play wirghts and his untimelt death. Orton and Halliwell are sensetively portrayed and the film has an air of gritty realism. Read more
Published 13 months ago by Colin Mayo
More ears than pricks
Gary Oldman's spunky performance as the 1960s playwright Joe Orton prevents 'Prick Up Your Ears' from being classed with the slew of 'as it was' Britflicks that the... Read more
Published on 7 Jan 2010 by James Hayes
reminds me of an american 'withnail and i'.
I'd never heard of this so i was amazed when I watched it and loved it. I noticed distinct similarities to the brilliant and humourous 'withnail and i' and this is one of the... Read more
Published on 20 Oct 2008 by Ms. F. I. Macdonald
Fantastic!
With a nod to Oscar Wilde, this is one of the best British comedies of all time. How Joe would have loved that. Read more
Published on 25 Jan 2007 by PM
Have you pricked up your ears?
This film i would recommend to any orton fans. Oldman at his best and Molina just superb as the 'billious queen' Haliwell. Read more
Published on 2 Oct 2004
Dark, disturbing, but great acting!
All I can say about this film is summed up in 5 words:
Dark, Disturbing but great acting!
Wonderful, but disturbing at times. Gary Oldmans finest performance ever. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2002 by H. Trivass
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