Iris (I) (2001) User Reviews (155)

Alzheimer's 101

[Turfseer · 6/10 · 18 July 2009]

The Director and Screenwriter of Iris, Richard Eyre, states during the special features DVD Commentary that one cannot understand the enormity of the loss to Alzheimer's of the protagonist, novelist Iris Murdoch, without appreciating what was lost. So he divides the story of Iris into the present day narrative of her deterioration due to Alzheimer's and flashbacks to the courtship and eventual marriage of the younger Iris (played by Kate Winslet) to Professor John Bayley back in the 1950s. The young Bayley is played by Hugh Bonneville who bears a striking resemblance to Jim Broadbent, who plays the elderly Bayley opposite Judi Dench as the now afflicted elderly Iris.

Because Eyre approaches Murdoch as a virtual seminal figure in the history of world literature, the flashback scenes add up to nothing much more than a hagiography. While the contrast between the two personalities, the mercurial, flirtatious Iris and bookish academician Baley should lead to some gripping tension, in the end there is scant conflict between the two. Yes, Iris's voluminous affairs are alluded to and there is one scene where she and Bayley have a protracted argument regarding those affairs, in the end however, there is little we learn that is interesting about the earlier relationship. While Eyre has the benefit of Bayley's recent recollections concerning the extent and scope of Iris's deterioration, the flashbacks are obviously based on distant memories of the relationship. In short, I don't believe that Eyre has made his case that there was a great 'loss' based on his portrait of the early Iris. As a young woman she flirted and had affairs with other men; eventually she matured and was a nurturing presence in not-so-confident John Bayley's life. Eyre's flashbacks are photographed quite nicely and the setting evokes the bygone era of the 50s. But I still want to know what is so special about Iris Murdoch. I might find that out reading her books, but it certainly is not conveyed here in this film.

Eyre is on much more solid in ground the retelling of Murdoch's decline in more recent times. Judi Dench is excellent (as usual) as a woman who gradually deteriorates due to the ravages of Alzheimer's. The decline is subtle at the beginning as we see Dench struggle with language. Later, in a memorable scene, she is unable to recall the name of the then current British Prime Minister, Tony Blair (but remembers it later). When her novel arrives in the mail, she shows no awareness that she's the author and is more perturbed by the presence of the mailman ("it's only the postman"). More harrowing scenes follow: as she deteriorates further, she wanders out of the house, only to be found hours later by a former friend who attended their wedding (and who Bayley fails to recognize!); upon being told of the death of a close friend, Iris freaks out, grabs the wheel of the car Bayley is driving which results in an accident—she's thrown from the car but ends up lying in the woods on the side of the road, virtually uninjured.

Jim Broadbent received the best supporting Oscar for his performance in Iris and it's well deserved. At first Bayley is in denial about Iris's condition. He continues to treat her as if she's normal. In a classic study of the stages of grief, Bayley (a suppressed character to begin with) finally lets out his frustration and anger as Iris's condition takes a turn for the worse. Eventually there's acceptance, despite Iris's complete loss of memory. At the end, Bayley is forced to put Iris in a home but is right there with her as she passes on.

Iris is a graceful and beautifully photographed film. While the examination of Iris and John Baley's early relationship is superficial, the chronicle of Iris's sad decline is a textbook study of what happens to people when they end up afflicted with Alzheimer's. What's more, Broadbent and Dench, convey the intimate bond between the two characters despite the overwhelmingly trying circumstances.

Beautifully told but incomplete

[=G= · 7/10 · 22 August 2002]

"Iris" tells of British novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband as they struggle together with her Alzheimer's affliction. The couple is portrayed in youth by Winslet and Bonneville and in old age by Dench and Broadbent with all delivering sterling performances. The plaintive and wistful story is told through interleaving scenes of the older couple's struggle with moments from the younger couple's life. As far as it goes, the film is an excellent product. What it doesn't deliver, however, is a deep sense of Murdoch, her philosophies and complexities of thought thereby giving greater depth to the character and a sense of the significance of what she is losing. In short, the film dwells too much on the disease and too little on the woman. Recommended for more mature viewers (B+)

Not an Iris Murdoch biography

[jrgirones · 6/10 · 4 June 2002]

Seems that we're in front of a biopic, but this is more another "mental disease film". "Iris" only focuses in two aspects of the writer's live: the meeting with Bayley when she was young and above all the decadence and alzheimer suffering when older. What about the other interesting aspects of Murdoch's life? And why they forget the other people who surrounded her and make them appear just plain in the film?

I went out of the cinema having the feeling that I had enjoyed supreme performances, delicate direction from Eyre and a coherent construction of the story-line (that editing evoking the disorder of Iris when ancient), but without knowing that writer at all.

superior literary biography

[didi-5 · 12 October 2004]

This film, inspired by John Bayley's memoir in tribute of his late wife, the novelist Iris Murdoch, gives us some insight into the final years of Murdoch as she struggled with the effects of Alzheimer's Disease, and shows us how her personality developed from the quirky, intelligent student of her young days into the self-assured, measured writer at her peak.

Iris is played when young by Kate Winslet, whose portrayal veers from playful to irritating. As she grows older she morphs into the wonderful Judi Dench, giving a quite exceptional performance as the mature Murdoch. Playing John Bayley are two actors who uncannily resemble each other - Hugh Bonneville and Jim Broadbent. Broadbent was to win awards for his performance, and rightly so, although Bonneville was no less touching.

In a well-balanced supporting cast we have Penelope Wilton, Sam and Timothy West, Eleanor Bron, and Juliet Aubrey, giving assured performances.

Is 'Iris' truly a movie about a writer, and the business of writing and creativity? Well, no, as her writing is not central to the feel of the piece (although it does touch on her gift for words, and the tragic loss of the ability to process and work with them). It is something of a downbeat film, which will leave the more sensitive amongst you with damp eyes, but essentially it is an exceptional piece of work about the destructive power of dementia and Alzheimer's.

This isn't a film about Iris, it's about John

[malcp · 6/10 · 15 January 2010]

Jim Broadbent won a well deserved Oscar for his work in this film, leaving Kate Winslet and Dame Judi Dench as also-rans for once. Iris Murdoch was a fantastic writer, but the film is not about her, it's about her husband's loss of her to Alzheimer's. The flaw is that it keeps on focusing on her without showing us who she is. Because her talent was in her books and her mind, we are told what he's lost, we only get a sort of superficial Iris. We see literally, from the young John Bayley's perspective where their relationship sprung from, but learn little about why her work meant anything or even if it did really mean anything to him. We know she was was fantastic with words, but they're not in the script because while Winslet and Dench do a great job, the script is John's story. The fact that John Bayley was married to one of the greatest writers of the 20th century should not have distracted the directors attention from the fact that this story was never about her.

Moving Experience, with Superb Dench

[noralee · 7/10 · 20 December 2005]

"Iris" is too short.

I wanted more about Iris Murdoch before she descends into Alzheimer's disease (stunningly portrayed by Judi Dench), other than a few lectures, and more explanation on why the young Iris fixed on her husband.

I haven't read the memoirs by the husband; it's possible that because the books and thence the movie are from his view point that we can't get inside Iris's head young, old, or befuddled.

The Young Iris segments mostly point up again that Kate Winslet has a beautiful naked body (was this before or after her baby?) and I didn't see how she did enough otherwise to justify the award nominations.

The Young Husband looks amazingly like the old Broadbent, so that the flashbacks are completely seamless, and both are terrific.

It's nice to see on screen a house as much of a mess as mine, filled with reading material, but I think we were supposed to react negatively at the sight and scream doesn't the British health services provide home health aides?

Altogether a very moving movie, helped by James Horner's music, especially sympathetic to what a caregiver goes through.

(originally written 3/3/2002)

four terrific performances

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 24 January 2015]

The movie is a biography of writers Iris Murdoch (Kate Winslet, Judi Dench) and John Bayley (Hugh Bonneville, Jim Broadbent). They meet at Oxford. She's the more flamboyant and he's awkward. Over the years, she continues to be the more vibrant one in the marriage and a famous novelist. Then she starts the suffer from Alzheimer's disease.

The acting is superb from all four primary actors. Winslet is winsome and Bonneville is awkwardly compelling. Dench's deterioration and Broadbent's suffering are outstanding. It does have essence of true romance. The courtship is heart warming and the struggles are heart breaking. That is what's most compelling. The only drawback is possibly the split timeline may pull some of the focus from each other.

A Life in Love

[xavrush89 · 10/10 · 15 March 2004]

This film succeeds where the overrated "A Beautiful Mind" fell short. It puts its subject's life into perspective and gives a sense of her worldview and, needs, and desires--as opposed to just focusing on the illness. I think it is also more effective in its use of different actors to portray the main characters at different ages, rather than using distracting age makeup, like in ABM. I came away from this with a profound admiration for Iris Murdock, whereas I felt like I hardly got to know John Nash at all.

But enough with the comparisons. This film stands well on its own as a tribute to the companionship shared by Iris and her husband John Bayley throughout their long, complex, relationship. Broadbent deserved that Academy Award, although I would say he plays more of a lead character than supporting. Seeing Iris through Bayley's loving eyes is what makes the film an enriching experience. He is the one who must adapt to her unconventional lifestyle, and their journey together is a rewarding one.

One person who commented stated that this was "another disease movie." Funny how you never hear a complaints about "another gangster movie" or "another romantic comedy" or "another suspense thriller." SO WHAT? First of all, it is not a disease movie, it is at its heart a romance, and a "meaning of life" film, much moreso than a film about Alzheimer's disease. Secondly, the disease is the device used to illustrate their level of understanding and commitment to each other. And finally, I cannot imagine telling Murdock's story WITHOUT giving the disease its proper weight in the course of the film.

The scenes when the characters are younger are blended seamlessly with the latter day scenes. Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville (uncannily resembling a young Broadbent) are very true to their older counterparts' personalities, and add yet another dimension to film. All in all, this is a production of which director Richard Eyre and cast (and Bayley, who wrote the book on which the film is based) should be extremely proud. It should have been seen by more people in 2001. Grade: A

Take the words from her mouth.

[michaelRokeefe · 6/10 · 16 May 2007]

Kudos to director Richard Eyre of this 2001 bio-drama about Iris Murdoch, Irish-born novelist,philosopher and lover of the written word. This film is a passionate look at the melodramatic relationship between the free-spirited and sexual libertine Murdoch(Judi Dench)and the scholarly and timid, virtual virgin John Bayley(Jim Broadstreet). Both acclaimed and well respected for their own accomplishments. Iris known for her novels that were usually sexual and ethical. Bayley, the Oxford scholar, sexually frustrated worshiper of Iris. The story line begins with the couple's meeting and attraction; Kate Winslet playing the young Murdoch and Hugh Bonneville as Bayley. Early on, Iris is the dominate of the soul mates as Bayley lives in the shadow of his famous wife. Later in life it is Bayley that becomes the doting and devoted caretaker of the Alzheimer's ravaged Iris. Dementia robbing from her those words that made her world. Dench and Winslet are superb.

"If one doesn't have words how does one think?"

[Anonymous_Maxine · 10/10 · 13 January 2005]

Iris is one of those dramas that is so startlingly well acted and accurate to reality that you truly see the people on screen suffering through the story rather than the actors portraying them. And in a film that stars Judi Dench, that is a remarkable achievement. Dench and Kate Winslet are made to look so similar that when the film jumps back and forth between past and present, which it does quite often, it is never jarring no matter how abrupt it is. The young Iris, played by Winslet, is similar to the character that she played in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind in many ways. She is sexually adventurous without being promiscuous, independent without being unfriendly or unattached, and dependent without being needy or reliant. She ultimately pursues a successful career as a novelist, which serves to illustrate her love and dependence on words and to enhance the effect of her deterioration later in the film.

Iris is famously a study of Alzheimer's disease, which is the kind of thing that rarely makes its way into mainstream films, so it is that much more moving that a movie as brilliant as this one takes on the subject and brings it to the forefront in such a dramatic fashion. Iris goes from being a tremendously successful novelist to not understanding which side of an open door she should pass in order to get through it. As she loses touch with reality and experiences more and more difficulty in speaking and understanding, the most moving scenes are the ones that show the suffering that her husband goes through before his own deterioration.

Iris has spent her life exploring things like what it is that makes people happy and what makes them realize that they are happy once they are, and then shows as she loses touch with those things without even realizing it. Her husband, John Bayley, in a brilliant performance by Jim Broadbent, is the only man who she has ever been with that has truly loved her, and he is the one that has to watch her cognitive abilities decline. He is literally watching the love of his life slip away from him without her even realizing it.

The film is beautifully shot and the musical score enhances the film spectacularly and unobtrusively. It brings out the emotions in a movie about losing not only memory, but about losing the your identity, losing yourself. The gradual nature of the onset of Alzheimer's disease is one of the most brilliantly presented elements in the film. There is a conversation that Iris and her husband have in which she gives him a quote, which he responds to in a way that shows his own mental decline, and then Iris' as well.

Iris - "Between two evils always choose the one you haven't tried before."

John - "Mae West. Oh my vest! I tore my vest again this morning!"

Iris - "You must get some new vests."

John – "Jolly good…"

Iris – "You must get some new vests," then, surprised at herself, "I just said that."

This all kind of makes me wonder, because it is not very rare that I will ask someone a question that I already asked and they already answered, sometimes only a minute or two before, and when they tell me I just asked them that question I have to explain that I just wasn't sure if I had asked them out loud or just thought the question in my head. Where the answer ever went in my brain remains a mystery.

It is very important that the movie spends so much time showing how much of a fiercely intelligent philosopher (in Kate Winslet's words) Iris Murdock was, because it emphasizes the totality with which Alzheimer's affects her ability to think. As a young woman she could talk circles around people, but when she grew older and Alzheimer's began to set in she became confused by the simplest concepts, and the difficulty that her husband found in attempting to explain things to her and hide what must have been his overwhelming emotion.

I'm in the middle of reading a wonderful book by Sidney Lumet called Making Movies, and I just finished a chapter on actors, in which there is a section where he described some actors who believe so strongly in the material of a film that they will do whatever it takes to get the movie made. Many actors have taken salaries far below their usually asking prices in order to participate in a movie about which they felt very strongly, and Iris is one of those movies, although I don't know whether or not any of the actors took smaller salaries than they deserved. There is a short documentary on the DVD called 'A Look at Iris' in which the cast and crew talk about the movie, and it is clear how strongly they feel about the film. Kate Winslet nails it on the head in one clip, where she says that she knows that people who knew the real Iris Murdock would see the movie, so it was all the more important that she get the character exactly right. I love that.

In Iris's own words, "If one doesn't have words how does one think?" That's exactly the question that this movie so touchingly explores. It is about people loving and then losing each other with torturous slowness, in one of the most moving and important films of 2001.

Great performances from the men

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 18 June 2019]

After Iris, why would Hollywood bother making any more Alzheimer's disease movies? This one has everything you'd ever expect or want in such a tragic story, and since it was based off the title character's memoirs, it's even sadder. There's no reason to keep making this extremely sad story over and over again when no one really wants to watch it. The only reason people get suckered into renting them is to see one of their favorite actors or actresses show off their acting chops, but as the majority of actors have proved, there are plenty of other types of roles that can show off acting chops that have nothing to do with Alzheimer's disease.

In any case, if you're renting Iris, it's because you want to see Judi Dench's or Kate Winslet's Oscar-nominated performances, or Jim Broadbent's Oscar-winning performance. Judi and Jim are wonderful, but since they're great professionals, have you ever seen them in movies where they weren't wonderful? You don't have to rent this one to prove that point. Yes, they run the gamut of anger, fear, pain, hope, love, and sadness, but do you really want to put yourself through this movie?

In continual flashbacks, a young Judi and Jim are portrayed by Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville. While the old couple fit together like two halves of a whole, as Jim says in an early scene, the young couple is shown as vastly different people who don't really fit in each other's worlds, as Kate says in a later scene. Hugh is bumbling and incredibly shy, and Kate is a bold, free spirit who sleeps around and hurts him. She's perpetually taking her clothes off, which feels gratuitous and cheap. The movie would be infinitely better and classier without the nudity, as the story is about a couple's life together not about a woman whose sole characteristic is that she can't keep her clothes on. This is not Kate Winslet's movie, even though she was nominated for an Oscar. Unlike her costar, she doesn't try to become a young version of her older counterpart. She's merely Kate Winslet with a wig on. Hugh is fantastic, transforming into such a picture-perfect youthful version of Jim Broadbent, it's almost impossible to tell them apart. If you've gone into this movie never having seen either of them, you'll probably think it was one actor throughout the entire movie with age make-up in some scenes.

If you do decide to put yourself through this very upsetting subject matter, you will be treated to two truly wonderful performances by the men. As is usually the case in these types of movies, the ill person isn't given nearly as much to do as the person who watches and endures, so Judi's performance isn't as involved as Jim's. Jim will make you cry, but he always makes you cry, doesn't he?

Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to nudity and adult subject matter, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

Beautiful, Poetic, Honest

[lornadoom78 · 10/10 · 23 August 2002]

This film is a constant reminder of our mortality. The mind fades but we recall the most cherished memories. I remember my grandmother, as she was in her final stages of Alzheimer's, clearly looking into my eyes and her expression changed. She remembered I was important to her.

This film captured the radiance and vibrancy of Iris' spirit and the deep, simple love and passion between two kindred souls. I can only dream to find this love of my own. I sobbed from beginning to end for many reasons i.e. sorrow, the true beauty of love, the importance of the senses, thinking, feeling and acting on our own desires...This is a reminder of what exactly film is which is TRUE art. All three main characters' acting was simply amazing and truly believable. However, heed my advice, you must be in the right mind frame. This is not a light hearted piece.

Ho-Hum Biography

[kenjha · 6/10 · 1 May 2010]

This screen biography of Iris Murdoch flashes back and forth between her twilight years as she battles Alzheimer's disease and her life as an aspiring writer in the 1950s. The casting is uncanny - it's totally believable that Winslet and Bonneville would age into Dench and Broadbent, respectively. The acting is also quite good, particularly Broadbent as the supportive but long-suffering husband of the woman who enjoyed a sexually adventurous life, a role that won him an Oscar. The problem is that there isn't much to the script other than mundane scenes of life then and now. Without a compelling plot to tie it all together, the film fails to sustain interest despite its short length.

a big void

[ldavis-2 · 3/10 · 7 September 2002]

Even a movie that doesn't purport to get to the meat and potatoes of its subject needs to give a frame of reference. The shift between Iris and John's "old" and "young" selves was maddening. Did they just leap over middle age? I imagine they had many adventures, adventures that would've helped us understand what made them tick.

I can see why Iris was attracted to the novelty of being with John: he's a sweet puppy, someone you'd take to Mom. But he's not a serious affair and certainly not a life partner. Indeed, his willingness to be her doormat is such that his outbursts come off as forced, as if Eyre suddenly realized that John was in serious danger of becoming a martyr.

But Eyre wimps out with Iris's relationships with Maurice and Janet. The second we see him, we know Maurice is a gay man who "switch hits" with Iris, hence, his viciousness when she unexpectedly brings John along for dinner. Yet while John seems clueless about Maurice, he is quite accepting of Janet, either because she is a woman or he expects Iris to shag whomever.

And why does she cheat? Is what attracts her to John the same thing that repels her? Is fidelity a concept that she has rejected as Man's imposed will on Woman? Is she amoral? Or is he just lousy in the sack? Your guess is as good as mine.

As far as the acting, what do you expect from Dame Judi and Kate Winslet? Too bad they didn't have anything real to work with.

A brilliant film

[olschic · 28 March 2002]

Judi Dench's performance as Dame Iris Murdoch was not only flawless, pitch-perfect, and deeply moving, but it was also the performance of a lifetime. The Academy was ridiculous in overlooking her lost gazes, her subtle inflections in voice, her trembling hands, her puzzled mouth. Kate Winslet lost herself inside the young Iris, developing an entirely new set of facial expressions and voice tones. The movie accurately captures the intense passion for life and love that John Bayley describes in his novel, "Elegy For Iris." Altogether, a brilliant film, concise, humurous, terribly sad--and enhanced by four brilliant performances.

Review Iris

[stinehellstrom-54232 · 7/10 · 14 April 2016]

Review- Iris

The Film Iris I about a writer there gets Alzheimer's disease. Iris is a sad and frustrating film, not least because it can't get out from under its own sadness and frustration. But the film renders this terrible loss with clichés rather than insights. It's difficult not to respond to the tear-jerking devices (perhaps especially if you've any experience with Alzheimer's patients), but it's also difficult not to see them as devices. While the film does include a lovey-dovey scene or two, it's more interested in the more exciting moments, the ways Iris makes John's life rather hellish, before and after the disease. True as this may have been, this choice of emphasis doesn't give the film much time to consider her work or thinking, supposedly key aspects of her appeal to John and everyone else.

I think the film give us a great chance to see how it is to have a Alzheimer's disease and how the relatives focus on the life story of a dementia patient.

Review of Iris 1

[charley_nbp · 7/10 · 14 April 2016]

The film, Iris, written by Richard Eyre in 2001 is a British-American biographical drama film. The story tell us about a British novelist, Iris Murdock, and her relationship with John Bayley. Iris was an outgoing individual, who became sick, and the story tell us how it is to live with an Alzheimer's disease. We see a lot of throwback's of how John's and Iris' life was before she got sick, in their youth.

I think it's a nice sequence when we experience the swimming in the lake both as young and elderly. It's a symbol of a clearing process and a rebirth for Iris.

It's a beautiful story of a lifelong romance, and how to overcome the problems that follow a life with the dementia disease.

I think the film give us a great general view of how it is to be a relative person in a dementia patients' life.

Actor's triumph (of course)

[stensson · 7/10 · 23 April 2002]

As always, the English are extremely good in reconstructing historical surroundings, clothes, make-ups and so on. But this is also a question of English acting at its best.

There isn't much to be said about Dame Judi Dench, who is probably one of the greatest actresses in the world right now. But she is matched, not by Kate Winslet, although Winslet is quite good, but by the men: Hugh Bonneville and Jim Broadbent as Iris Murdoch's husband in young and old incarnation.

That male character is rather rare in films. He very seldom gets the girl, but this is a movie about real life, so maybe its possible. There is one scene here that lifts itself (concerning real life) over the rest of the movie and that is when Iris tells about her lovers and Mr. Bailey tries to look unmoved, speaking about bad war widow pensions. Iris understands all of his pain. In that moment she understands the man in his poorness completely and starts loving him for real. She says that he is her world. That is rather beautiful.

That's a small detail in the script, but that one alone makes this film well worth seeing.

Impeccably acted and heart-wrenching

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 13 September 2010]

Essentially this is the story of love, loss and human frailty, and what a story it is. It is so truthful, powerful and heart-wrenching. The film is beautiful to watch too, with the cinematography and settings just exquisite, complete with a lovely score, a touching script and sensitive direction from Richard Eyre where he directs with a sharp academic mind. And the parallel flashbacks are beautifully done. What makes Iris are the strength of the performances, because the acting is just brilliant in this film. Judi Dench is wonderful as always, and Kate Winslet and Hugh Bonneville are believable too, but the best performances for me come from Jim Broadbent as her devoted husband Jim Bayley and Penelope Wilton as society hostess Janet Stone. In conclusion, it is a beautiful and very poignant film, so much so it hurts. 10/10 Bethany Cox

My thoughts about the film

[annakc-38136 · 6/10 · 14 April 2016]

I think the film show how it can be to suffering from dementia. Both for the ones who is suffering, and for the relatives who is standing around, and have lots of feelings between. The relatives is hurt in an other way, which can be difficult for outstanding to understand. Sometimes you get so frustrated, because the ones with dementia is changing in the way they act. In this film, John really trying to keep the personality of Iris. He is trying to understand her, to know her kind of "language" and to remind her of herself as she was, and what she was supposed to do. I think this perspective is really important, and we also see how the relatives, here John, don't always have the resources to handle the situation, as he wants to do. We see the frustrations, and how angry he gets. In the end she is moving to a nursing home. She seems to find it okay, and she seems to be happy there. It give John lots of peace in his heart. I think he should had had some support much earlier in the process. It is different how a person suffering from dementia are reacting, when they have to move. Normally, it is important to make the move to the nursing home soon as possible, because it isn't easy for a dementia to move. But here, it was luckily going easy and without pain. If think the film is going too quickly over the processes in the suffering. It is going very quickly, from where Iris experience, that she can't remember and till the dementia is taking over her life. I think we could use more details, and a longer review of the process. I know it is hard to get all the details and the real time-perspective in a film, but I think it is sad that we are going so quickly through the process. I think we miss many very important thinks in the suffering for dementia.

A Window peek into the absolute life of Iris Murdoch!

[Sherazade · 10/10 · 6 March 2006]

Just a peek, but a good one nevertheless. Kate Winslet, Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent and Hugh Bonneville, how could you go wrong eh? The former two play young and old Iris respectively, while the latter two play old and young John Bayley respectively. The film mostly deals with Old Iris and John flash-backing on their lives from when they met up until the present as Iris slowly fades away in the clutching arms of Alzheimers disease. It is heartbreaking to watch and all the actors who portray these characters are in their element as they bring them so vivaciously to life. Broadbent won an academy award for his turn as John Bayley while Winslet and Dench were both Oscar nominated as well. Winslet plays young Iris to a pulp! touching on everything from her bisexuality, her love of the sea, nudity, spontaneity, to her philandering ways which ultimately broke Bayley's heart even though he stuck by her till the end. A great film to watch but be prepared to cry.

Heartwarming and heartbreaking

[hall895 · 7/10 · 12 December 2007]

Iris is a film which straddles a fine line, warming your heart but also breaking your heart. It's an undeniably heartfelt, touching story. But it's a story which you know from the beginning can only end in tears. All involved in the making of this film are to be commended for managing to bring this rather difficult story to life. The writers, the director, and the fine cast of actors have done excellent and, most certainly, very challenging work here. There may be some small quibbles with the film but all in all one has to say it's a job well done.

Iris tells the story of one fascinating woman, renowned British novelist Iris Murdoch, and her sad descent as the ravages of Alzheimer's take their toll. Much of this movie's appeal is that before the disease has its impact we get to know who this woman was, what drove her. We see her brilliance, we see her vivaciousness, we see her lust for life. This makes her sad fate all the more heartbreaking. Two actresses bring the character of Iris to life and each is spot-on brilliant. When we meet Iris, she is played by Judi Dench. Throughout the film there are flashbacks where we see the young Iris, and here Kate Winslet takes up the role. Dench probably has the more challenging part. In the film's beginning she is playing a rather clearly brilliant woman but when the dreaded disease begins to strike Dench is left to portray a completely helpless woman who has lost all sense of who she is. A tough transition for any performer but Dench is up to the task. The contrast with the Iris we see four decades earlier in Winslet's scenes could not be any more stark. It is in these scenes that we really see who Iris Murdoch was. Winslet throws her whole body and soul into her performance, presenting an incredibly energetic, free-spirited and undeniably strong woman. Getting to know Iris in this way is so important if we are to really appreciate the sadness that comes when this woman's mind and spirit begins to fade away.

Dench and Winslet are certainly the key figures here but one must also note the very good, very important, work done by Jim Broadbent and Hugh Bonneville who play Iris' husband John Bayley. Bonneville plays a younger, somewhat befuddled Bayley who engages in a somewhat awkward courtship with Iris. Broadbent plays the older Bayley, who must take up the burden of caring for the woman he loves as she slowly fades away. Broadbent does a wonderful job of portraying the loving patience required in this situation. And when the moments of inevitable frustration come Broadbent is up to the challenge there as well. Really, there is not a false step from any of the four principals in the cast. The way the story is told, cutting back and forth in time, is a big plus. Whenever the story seems to be overwhelmed with sadness at the older Iris' fate there is a jump back to those long-ago happier days where Iris was so full of life. If there is any failing in the film it's that you may be left wishing you got to know Iris just a little better. The film at times seems a little rushed. We certainly get an idea of who this person was but you do get the sense there was so much more there. The film seems so focused on the central relationship between Iris and Bayley that other aspects of the woman's life seem to have been pushed aside. You may wish you got to see more, but what is presented here is a very compelling story, brilliantly brought to life by some truly wonderful performers. It's a very well done, and very touching, film.

And to think that I'd never heard of Iris Murdoch before this movie came out.

[lee_eisenberg · 9/10 · 25 March 2006]

Judi Dench gives the performance of a lifetime as author Iris Murdoch, who eventually developed Alzheimer's disease. She really gets into the role, as she's done with every one of her performances with which I'm familiar. Jim Broadbent won Best Supporting Actor playing her husband John Bayley, who loves her but often gets frustrated by her mental condition. This is certainly a movie that I recommend to everyone. Also starring Kate Winslet as young Iris, and Hugh Bonneville as young John.

I still remember when Jim Broadbent won his Oscar. The next day, we were hiking up an Indian dwelling in Bandalier, New Mexico (it was spring break), and I was thinking: "When people heard that, I bet that most of them were thinking "Jim who?".

Worth A Watch...

[namashi_1 · 7/10 · 26 October 2010]

Iris Murdoch's life unfolds emotionally in 'Iris'. This biopic shows the strength and weakness of this late legendary novelist with ease. Director Richard Eyre's version of showing this biopic has nudity, frustration and beyond all, love.

'Iris' is crispy executed in 90-minutes in running-time. Some sequences are brilliantly done, the inter-cuts are smoothly removed at times, and selfishly put back again. The culmination is very sensitively executed, and leaves a tear in your eye.

Richard Eyre has made a memorable biopic, no two options on that! He deserves a pat for handling the emotional portions with such ease. Roger Pratt's Cinematography compliments wonderfully to Eyre's direction.

Performance-Wise: It's a Judi Dench show all the way. The legendary Actress plays Iris, when suffering Alzheimer's disease, flawlessly. Jim Broadbent as Iris's husband John Bayley, is very sincere. Kate Winslet as the young and peppy Iris, is absolutely lovable. Hugh Bonneville as young Bayley, does well.

On the whole, This Biopic Is Truly Worth A Watch!

Excellent performances, story slacks off

[LG72387 · 5/10 · 25 August 2002]

There are biographies which attempt to tell the story of one's life with as much emotion and as much intensity as possible. Iris tries so hard to do so that it eventually slacks off in the end. Iris is the story of female writer Iris Murdoch, a world-renowned author who suffered Alzheimer's disease. Through the love and guidance of her husband, fellow author John Bailey, she was able to enjoy the last moments of her life and not feel frightened by death. Iris is played brilliantly by Dame Judi Dench and deserved an Oscar nomination for her role. Her facial expressions and personification of the character made us realize what Iris had become and made the audience feel sad. Equally compelling is Jim Broadbent as John Bailey, who gives a pitch-perfect performance as a husband who knows he has lost the woman he loves. He misses the fiery passion of Iris and longs for the freedom that she once had. Throughout the film, we are able to see glimpses of Iris's past and are able to see her freedom to speak her mind. We learn that she was indeed a passionate woman who was not afraid to express her sexuality and opinion on matters such as politics or society. Young Iris is played effectively by Kate Winslet and makes the audience realize with her tone of voice and character improvisation that the real Iris Murdoch was once a magnificent storyteller. The film is good performance wise and makes the audience realize that you could expect no more from such fine and respected actors. However, it is in the storyline in which the film loses its balance. It does not maintain the same passion as the actors present to the project and leaves us with a lot of questions and not enough satisfaction at the end of the film. The writers left a lot of details out of Iris's life and that is why the film is so poor. The storyline instead makes the audience hungry for more than what they bargained for. What we see on the screen is this interpretation of a woman's life that is a knockout performance wise. However, it leaves the audience with questions rather than answers.

Lenny's Grade: **1/2