Dorian Gray

My love for BLACK SWAN is no secret; NATALIE PORTMAN's passionate portrayal of the mentally-disturbed Nina Sayers is simply perfect. Another friend of mine shares this passion, and recently, she has insisted that I spend two hours (or so) of my life to view DORIAN GRAY. She firmly stated, and I quote, 'it's even better than Black Swan!' Of course, knowing how much she ADORES Ben Barnes, I was doubtful (and rightfully so)!

Ben Barnes is elusively handsome with a rather feminine touch. He certainly does look the part-he possesses innocent eyes that hides the evil that lies beneath. However, he fails to deliver. Dorian Gray is very similar to Nina Sayers, and of course requires a skillfully controlled, yet loose performance and quite frankly, Barnes has not developed such talents. For the most part-his eyes and his speech lack passion, which (understandably) reflects his insecurity as a young actor.

The film can be rather melodramatic, but the seductive and 'explicit' scenes are rather entertaining. Colin Firth is quite competent as the cynical monster that corrupts Dorian Gray, but some characters lack screen time, and thus, also lack personality.

The idea of the film is stimulating, and this is as expected for an adaptation from the great OSCAR WILDE. Another positive is that after about forty minutes, the film rapidly gathers momentum and truly entertains its audience. The tense and creepy atmosphere also contributes to the viewing experience (and the need to lower the volume).

All in all, I would consider it a more-than-OK film if I could stop comparing Ben Barnes to ACADEMY AWARD WINNER Natalie Portman. So, considering this hinderance-I award the film a 6/7 out of ten.