Iris (2001)

Sad and lovely

This film details the relationship between John (Bonneville/Broadbent) and Iris (Winslet/Dench), two young academics who meet, fall in love, and marry. John seems in a perpetual state of admiration for Iris, who blossoms into a celebrated novelist. Clearly, John is the lover and Iris is the loved in their relationship. Iris is the sun, and John is the planet that orbits around her. And John seems ecstatic that this is the nature of things.

As the two age, however, Iris falls prey to Alzheimer's, and her fine mind, which has always been her greatest attribute (and one of John's greatest loves), begins to fail. The story follows John and Iris as the illness takes greater possession of her and John struggles to cope without the central force/focus of his life.

Performances are wonderful in this, particularly those of Broadbent and Dench. Hugh Bonneville gives an uncanny take on a young Jim Broadbent/John Bayley. This movie is sad, because it is about losing someone that you love. But there are hopeful moments, too, when John celebrates the pieces of Iris that are still left to him, the brief moments of lucidity that the universe seems to grant her.

I find it interesting that, though Iris Murdoch is much more widely-published than Bayley has been (most of his work is literary criticism), it is his silm, loving volume of tribute to her that is so well-known. Broadbent won an Oscar for portraying Bayley in this film, and it was well-deserved.

Worth seeing. December 9, 2008

"Wither shall I go from thy spirit?"

Prolific English novelist Iris Murdoch (The Sea, The Sea, Under the Net) was a lover of words and the power of language. She was quite the avant-garde free-thinker as a young professor and the shy, stuttering John Bayley seemed an unlikely match for her, but fall in love they did and they shared a long and loving marriage. The movie focuses on Iris' battle with Alzheimer's disease, which gradually robbed her of the ability to use her beloved words. John cared for her and loved her until the end.

This is simply the best movie I've seen in a long time; the acting is superb as is the script. Judi Dench gives a stunning performance as Iris. It is heartbreaking to watch her steady decline, knowing how it must end. She was nominated for, but did not receive an Oscar, however, Jim Broadbent won one for his role as her steadfast husband. He, too, is perfect, tenderly caring for his beloved even when she doesn't know him. When the movie flashes from Iris' present decline to John's memories of their meeting and courtship, the younger Iris is well-played by Kate Winslet. She captures the love of life and philosophy that Iris had. The James Horner soundtrack is the perfect companion to the deeply personal and yet universally-understood story of unselfish love.

Highly recommended. (Bring your tissues.) October 19, 2008

I like it, but...

There's no doubt that the acting is tremendous in this movie, from both Dame Judy and James Broadbent. The movie is a special achievement in this regard, and Judy Dench deserved an Oscar for her performance. However, the movie is a very incomplete picture of the life of Iris Murdoch, which in fact would be difficult to capture in a 2 hour film. It is a very small, very limited view of the woman who has contributed so much to literature, philosophy and the arts. It is unfortunate that many will only know Iris Murdoch through this movie, and may never experience the insight, wisdom and wit of this truly remarkable artist. September 22, 2008

Iris

A beautifully written and acted movie about the devastation of Alzheimers. Judi Dench as the older Iris is fantastic and Kate Winslet as the young Iris is very good. This was my first introduction the the actor Jim Broadbent and I found him to be marvelous...so glad to know that he won an Academy Award for this role. Not a movie to pick up your spirits but a treasure just the same. August 12, 2008

Deeply moving

Having just finished watching "Iris" on DVD, I'm still of two minds about having watched it. The performance by Dame Judi Dench is breathtakingly brilliant as the famous novelist and philosopher, Dame Iris Murdoch. The story encompasses her youth as a student at Oxford, her many love affairs and her terrible descent into dementia. As I saw Judi Dench gradually change from a brilliant woman into a screaming, flailing madwoman, her portrayal was enough to reduce me to tears as it was so accurately done and even the flatness of her eyes and lack of expression were perfect. Anyone who has been part of the life of a sufferer from Alzheimer's should be aware that this DVD will stir up bad memories at the physical and mental depiction of the sufferer and will recall all of the horrors. That I could be reduced to tears is due to the utter brilliance of Judi Dench as an actress, but I'm still not sure that I should have watched it! August 9, 2008

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