Iris

Starring: Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, Kate Winslet, Hugh Bonneville, Eleanor Bron, Penelope Wilton
Directed by: Richard Eyre
Rating: R
Genre: Drama, Romance
2001

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Follows Iris Murdoch (Judi Dench, Kate Winslet) and John Bayley (Jim Broadbent, Hugh Bonneville) as they meet, fall in love, and live together until Iris' Alzheimer's diagnosis upends their lives.

Review:

Tim: I enjoyed Iris, but it feels to me like a good movie made substantially better due to the performances of the cast. There's a lot of movies like this- the actors are better than the film itself. In this case, that doesn't denigrate the movie too much- Richard Eyre's film is solid and engaging. It's just that his film owes such a vast amount of its success to the cast. Outside of the performances, the movie doesn't quite pack a powerful enough punch.

I have to admit, I'd never heard of Iris Murdoch. I don't feel like I learned a great deal about her after watching this film. She was brilliant, a novelist, lived an interesting life, and ultimately succumbs to Alzheimer's. What really drove her, what inspired her, there's gaps that this movie doesn't convey. This honestly felt like a movie far less about a real person and more about Alzheimer's and the destruction it wrecks upon our lives. To be totally transparent, I'd forgotten this was based on a real person continually throughout the film. It definitely doesn't have much of a typical "biopic" quality to it.

The movie still works because Alzheimer's is a devastating, awful disease. The script is solid- we toggle back-and-forth between the latter stages of Iris and John's lives, and their more carefree, younger days. This is a brilliant device here, because we get to see what this awful disease robbed them of- we see how much Iris has lost, how her brain has changed who she is, how she becomes a faded shell of who she once was. It's not a very pleasant thought, but it's a powerful one that this film explores. It's also not just a story of Iris' loss, but we see John's life fall apart as well- a stark reminder that Alzheimer's destroys more than just the mind of the afflicted. It destroys relationships, families, everything.

The movie is definitely boosted by the wonderful cast. You watch this movie and you just marvel, getting to see all four of these terrific actors together. The headliners are Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent. Dench is a legendary actress and her performance here just furthers her absurd accolades. She's undoubtedly one of the best all-time and her performance here is often heartbreaking. You can only shake your head in awe of Dench. It was fitting that she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress. Broadbent actually won, though- for Best Supporting Actor. Broadbent is a very talented actor that I often forget is so talented. His performance here is filled with emotion- much of it raw, much of it subtle. He conveys love and loss so well in this performance. He shows the conflict, the rage existed within John as he helplessly watches the love of his life crumble in front of him. Dench and Broadbent work well together and bring these characters to vivid life on screen. Now, as much as I very much did enjoy Broadbent's performance, I was a little surprised he actually won. There were other strong performances in 2001 (how can you argue with Ian McKellen as Gandalf for the first time? Or Ethan Hawke in Training Day?). Iris is absolutely not among the best films of 2001, so it feels a bit odd. However, Broadbent's performance is very strong and while I might not have crowned him victor, his performance is at least worthy.

Kate Winslet, another of the contenders for "greatest actress of all time" delivers an equally stunning performance to Dench. I loved that the great Dench was played by the great Winslet as the younger version of the character. You have to say, audiences got so incredibly lucky to see this on screen. Winslet is excellent- playing a believable version of Dench's character, while also giving the younger Iris traits and characteristics of her own. Winslet is so talented and she makes the younger Iris sparkle with energy. Her performance is perhaps the most memorable of the film. Your eye is drawn to her, whatever she's doing on screen. I find it so interesting that she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, two acting nominations for two actresses playing the same character in the same film.

I do want to highlight the performance of Hugh Bonneville. Bonneville gets shortchanged a bit here. He's the only main cast member not to receive an Academy Award nomination, although I think his performance is absolutely good enough to be in contention. This is where the wonkiness of the awards circuit bothers me. By this film's own logic, Broadbent really is Lead Actor and Bonneville should have been Supporting, like Winslet. However, I'm sure they knew Broadbent had a better chance to win Supporting with his arguably Lead Actor. It worked out well for Broadbent, but Bonneville is left in the cold. Now, as much I did love Bonneville's performance, I was most startled by how he channeled Broadbent. He truly seemed perfectly cast as the younger Broadbent and he mimics the older actor brilliantly. This is so important to the movie, because with Winslet and Bonneville, we really do feel like we're seeing a younger version of Dench and Broadbent. Like I've been saying, the cast makes this movie.

The movie itself is good, but it's a bit by-the-numbers. The narrative always feels secondary to setting up these great actors to give great performances. That's fine, it doesn't actively hurt the film, but as good as this movie is, it felt like a long way away from the best films of 2001. I enjoyed the movie immensely for the performances and the story itself was average and honestly, pretty forgettable. As I think about this film now, I can see Dench struggling, see Broadbent's worried face, see Winslet's rambunctious energy, and Bonneville's playful restraint. The broad strokes of the story? It's already fading for me. It won't be too long before I forget again that this was based on a true story and I won't be able to tell you much about Iris. However, as far as Alzheimer's movies go, this is definitely a strong one.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Father, Still Alice, Away From Her, Pride & Prejudice