Prick Up Your Ears (1987)

Wonderful Movie

the audience applauded

So much average

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

I had heard the title of this British film a few times, I remembered the leading actor in it, and it was 30 years old in 2017, so I was hoping for something worthwhile, directed by Stephen Frears (My Beautiful Laundrette, The Queen, Philomena, Florence Foster Jenkins). Based on the true story, it tells the story of the life and death of gay playwright Joe Orton (BAFTA nominated Gary Oldman), and his lover Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina). The story is told in flashback, as Orton's friend Peggy Ramsay (BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated Vanessa Redgrave), the theatrical agent who discovered his talent for both writing, she tells his story to John Lahr (Wallace Shawn), who is writing Orton's biography. Orton met Halliwell as a teenager at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts in London, Halliwell was older and more reserved, the two begin a relationship, but it is not all just about sex. At the time, sexually activity homosexuality was illegal, Orton loves the dangers of bath-houses and liaisons in public restrooms, but Halliwell is not as charming attractive as Orton, he does not fare as well. As their relationship progresses, Orton grows increasingly confident in his talent for writing, but Halliwell's writing stagnates, and they become like a traditional married couple, with Orton being the "husband", and Halliwell being the long suffering and increasingly ignored. In the 60s, Orton achieves fame with his plays, with "Entertaining Mr. Sloane" and "Loot" becoming huge hits, and he is commissioned to write a screenplay for The Beatles, Halliwell is becoming increasingly jealous of his success. In the end, in 1967, a despondent Halliwell kills 34-year-old Orton, bludgeoning him with nine hammer blows to the head, he leaves a message in Orton's diary, and commits suicide with an overdose of 22 tablets washed down with grapefruit juice. Also starring Julie Walters as Elsie Orton, Lindsay Duncan as Anthea Lahr, James Grant as William Orton, Frances Barber as Leonie Orton, Sean Pertwee as Orton's Friend, Richard Wilson as Psychiatrist, Steven Mackintosh as Simon Ward, Roger Lloyd Pack as Actor and David Bradley as Undertaker. Oldman gives a marvellous performance as the flamboyant and promiscuous cheeky chappy, and Molina packs a surprise punch as Orton's troubled mentor. Obviously many people will know it all ends in tragedy and murder, but the majority of the film before has a fantastic script, with hilarious one-liners (the "have a w**k" sequence being a highlight), only the little bits of Orton's career are focused, it is more interesting with the perspectives of being homosexual in the 1960s, all in all it a most worthwhile biographical drama. It was nominated the BAFTA for Best Adapted Screenplay for Alan Bennett. Gary Oldman was number 40 on The 100 Greatest Movie Stars, he was number 11 on The 50 Greatest British Actors, and he was number 36 on The World's Greatest Actor. Very good!

This film tells the story of the playwright Joe Orton who was murdered in August 1967 by his gay lover Kenneth Halliwell. It is said that Orton had expressed the wish that, should a biography ever be written about him, it should be entitled "Prick Up Your Ears", so when John Lahr came to write such a biography that is precisely what he called it. Orton's work is noted for its cynical and often bawdy humour, and he was doubtless attracted by the double meaning inherent in the phrase, and possibly because "ears" is an anagram of a British term for another part of the anatomy. The film is based upon Lahr's book, and he himself appears as a character. Scenes of Lahr researching his book with the assistance of Orton's literary agent Peggy Ramsay form the film's framework, with Orton's life story told in flashback.Orton was born into a working-class Leicester family in 1933. His family hoped that he would obtain a white-collar position, possibly with the Civil Service, and sent him to secretarial college where he learned shorthand and typing. He himself, however, harboured the ambition of becoming an actor, and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts where he first met, and became the lover of, Halliwell, who was older, more sophisticated and from a wealthier background. Both men wanted to be either actors or writers; their acting careers never amounted to much, and at first they did not enjoy much success as writers either.In 1962 Orton and Halliwell were both arrested and sentenced to six months in prison, not for homosexuality (which was illegal at the time) but for the crime of vandalising library books. They resumed their relationship after their release, but Orton's increasing literary success and Halliwell's worsening mental state began to put a strain on it, culminating in the murder which was followed by Halliwell's suicide.It has been suggested that Halliwell was motivated by sexual jealousy- Orton was notoriously promiscuous- but the story told by the film is a more complex one. Promiscuity was a part of both men's lifestyle- they regularly went "cottaging" together- and neither intended their relationship to be monogamous. Jealousy of a sort was involved, but jealousy in the sense of "envy" rather than in that of "sexual possessiveness". Halliwell, as portrayed by Alfred Molina, is suffering from a massive inferiority complex when he compares himself to Orton, who started off as his protégé. Orton is better-looking than the balding Halliwell, more attractive to other men and, worst of all from Halliwell's point of view, more successful as a writer. He takes to describing himself as "Mr Orton's personal assistant", but finds it hard to conceal the fact that acting in a subsidiary role to the younger man is an unbearable blow to his pride.This is not the sort of film which will be to everyone's taste; those with an allergy to bad language or explicit sexual references would be well advised to give it a wide berth. Anyone who can appreciate good acting, however, will enjoy it more. Gary Oldman and Molina combine together brilliantly as the two leading characters. Oldman's Orton is the brash, cocky youngster, full of self- confidence and clearly brilliantly talented, but also probably a right pain in the neck to live with. Molina's Halliwell is the fussy, neurotic older man, worried about his looks, bitter that he has not enjoyed the same success as a writer as his lover, increasingly isolated, mentally troubled and ultimately despairing to the point of homicidal and suicidal madness. There is also a good performance from Vanessa Redgrave as Ramsay.Alan Bennett's screenplay, while it does not neglect the tragedy which lies at the heart of the story of Orton and Halliwell, is nevertheless surprisingly humorous at times, especially in its accounts of Orton's youth and the book-defacing episode and its treatment of Orton's relatives. Bennett has great fun at the expense of Orton's philistine brother-in-law who inveighs against the memory of the dead man ("He means nothing in Leicester!") while remaining happy to accept the royalties he and his wife receive as the playwright's next-of-kin. This mixture of the tragic and the humorous is not inappropriate when one considers that Orton's plays are often categorised as "black comedies" which try and see the funny side even in the blackest of situations. 8/10

Movie about gay London playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) who was killed by his lover Kenneth Halliwell (Alfred Molina) in 1967. It's done with Vanessa Regrave as Orton's agent and Wallace Shawn as an investigative reporter piecing together Orton's life and his relationship with Halliwell. It shows how it started out great but Halliwell's reputation went nowhere while Orton wrote some very dirty (and funny) plays. This upset Halliwell and shows how he finally cracks.This isn't for everybody. This shows a VERY graphic and unflinching view of gay life in London in the 1960s (when it was against the law). It seems Orton was very sexually active with others (that probably didn't help his relationship with Halliwell) and we're shown a few acts (all within an R rating). Oldman is just great--he LOOKS like Orton and gives a wonderful performance. Molina is good but he doesn't look a thing like Halliwell. Halliwell was about the same size and shape as Orton--Molina is tall and hulking--all wrong for the role. Shawn is lots of fun getting into Orton's life and Redgrave is just superb as his agent--who ever knew she could do comedy so effortlessly? She casually throws out some wonderful lines with a little smile on her lips. Also Julie Walters has a very very good scenes as Orton's sister.The only thing this lacks is some insight into HOW Orton wrote his plays and why he was thinking certain things. However it could be nobody knows. A great film--Oldman and Redgrave's show all the way. Again, not for people that have trouble with gay scenes or dialogue. I remember quite a few gasps from the audience when I saw it in a theatre in 1987 during the scene where Oldman french-kisses another guy. I give this an 8.

This frank account of famed playwright Joe Orton boasts three stellar performances. Gary Oldman sinks into the playwright's character with remarkable skill. Alfred Molina is appropriately irritating and erratic as Orton's companion, and Vanessa Redgrave is suave and stylish as the playright's agent. This biographical script pulls no punches in relaying the Orton's private lifestyle, while his career success is given rather short shrift. An insightful and informative presentation.