Comedy plays like those that Oscar Wilde are tough to do; go one way, and it's too smug and arch, go another and it's too labored and drawn out. Adapter Oliver Parker avoids the first part but stumbles into the second. Obviously, in this post-Lewinsky era, he probably felt he could make a timely statement about politicians, and he handles that part without grandstanding. But this is essentially a comedy, and while we start out brightly, the end slows it down to a crawl. To be fair, it's hard work to appear effortless(as Cary Grant proved), but the comedy suffers because of it. Certainly Rupert Everett is effortless enough, and he's not only good in of himself, but everyone else is at ease when acting with him(I particularly like his sparring with Minnie Driver). But while the rest of the cast is good(though Northam looks uncomfortable at times), they get caught when the movie slows down. It's too bad, because there are good things here, but as Wilde might say, it talks more and says less as it goes on.
Review of An Ideal Husband
