The Picture of Dorian Gray

I saw this on opening night at the Miami Gay Film Fest and I, along with about 98% of the audience, hated it. Everyone left hissing and didn't bother to stay for the Q&A with director Duncan Roy, who was just as pretentious on stage as his film was on screen. The film itself is clumsy, underwritten, and lazy, supposedly taking place in the 80s and 90s but clearly the budget was too small to hide the fact the backdrop is obviously 2005 New York. The acting was bad and the placing of dialogue as text in huge letters on the screen is about as film-school- amateur-ostentatious as you can get. Also the film was obviously trying to say something about the AIDS crisis among gay men but failed to register any conclusive facts or interesting ideas. As it is, this Picture of Dorian Gray is a sluggish piece if crap that will have a hard time getting theatrical release. Most likely, the film will go directly to HERE or LOGO or DVD where it will fade into bad movie obscurity.

I really liked it although it's not going to please the multiplex crowd. David Gallagher is stunningly good as Dorian in this updated version of Oscar Wilde's tale of decadence and debauchery. The authentic whiff of contemporary corruption and depravity of the New York art world is chilling. Perhaps some of the other reviewers aren't that familiar with Wilde's text but I think Duncan Roy has created something that has the authentic spirit of the 1890s.Wilde's witticisms and jibes at morality sit very well in a contemporary setting.

I was also in the same screening and the audience warmly applauded at the end.

This is a relatively low budget production but it looks like great. I loved the fact that the portrait is a video installation too.

Last night I saw The Picture of Dorian Gray with five friends at the Odeon Leicester Square. The audience was mainly very quiet and laughed occasionally at two or three very funny lines. I saw four people leave.

The film was very stylish. There were endless references to contemporary art: I really enjoyed the epigrams (Richard Long), the neon sculptures (Tracy Emin and Dan Flavin) and I think a reference to Sylvie Fleury. It really was a visual treat.

As I sat there the film made me feel very uncomfortable. Personally I don't think that it was an entirely appropriate film for the last night of the London Lesbian and Gay film festival. The attendant party crowd was eager to get to the last night do at the BFI and drink free champagne and very understandably so after a long festival.

Dorian as played by David Gallagher was excellent; Christian Camargo who plays Wooten was very well acted. Basil Hallward tended to whine. As uncomfortable as this film made me feel I was compelled to sit and watch it to the very end. There were moments of real cinematic genius-largely during the second half. I kept thinking that the look of the film was beautiful-the colors extraordinary. The split screen devices used occasionally worked very well and seamlessly referencing Gilbert and George.

Consequently I have awarded the film ten out of ten for style, music choices, and production values and for some of the performances. Taking a classic tale and reworking it was a dangerous idea but for sheer audacity I think that Duncan Roy has made a stab in the right direction. On the way over to the BFI my friends passionately discussed the film-we were pretty evenly divided between those of us who really loved it and those of us who either didn't get it or did not bother to try. We all agreed that we loved the color of the film and especially the use of music.

If anything the vapid, vacuous nature of the characters bound up in this slight story added rather than detracted from the film. Wilde caused a bit of the same negative reaction when he published his book. Sadly I know rather too many people like the ones I saw up on the screen on Wednesday night.

A day has since past and I am still thinking about Dorian Gray. The film leaves something indelible-both good and bad in the memory-it is never, ever dull.

Just saw this picture at Outfest and I absolutely loved it. Don't have a clue what the folks here are talking about. But as they say an opinion is like an ass, everybody has one and there are too many pretentious ones here who believe to be the worlds film critics. The film was eloquent,lyrical, poetic and very artistic. I saw and loved Duncan's previous work AKA and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have seen several versions of Dorian Gray and found this one to be original, entertaining and disturbing. I applaud the filmmaker for his innovative choices and I know, not hope, that this film will get distribution and released in theatres for I happen to work for a film distribution company, so most other distributors would be doing us a favor if they choose to go with the other negative comments here. I'd be more than happy to bring this version of Dorian Grey to screens. I look forward to Duncan's future great works.

I agree with the first poster. I was also in the audience last night and expected far better than what was shown. If the director hadn't said the film took place in 1990, one would have never known. (Besides, the art scene in Manhattan was over at that point, having peaked before the market crash in the late 80s). And to equate AIDS with getting old is an insult. The acting was uneven and some of the musical choices weren't inspiring. It was just plain dull! I think the applause was polite, out of respect for the director and actor in attendance, but I agree it was a mad dash for the exits..... Certainly not a movie for the multi-plex or the art houses, but one to go straight to DVD.