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Iris (2001)
Iris tells the tale of British novelist Iris Murdoch. She was considered by many amongst the best novelists of her time. Late in life she developed Alzheimer's disease and this once brilliant vivid personality is reduced to the level of an infant. How you view this film probably has a lot to do with how familiar you are with her work and her career. Those who know her work well may be put off by the lack of time spent on who she was and what her ideas and writing were like. Those unfamiliar with her work won't notice this much and will instead be enthralled by the quality acting that permeates this film.
Iris Murdoch and John Bayley make for an interesting couple. They are both professors, both authors and both highly respected. He is shy and quiet while she is vivacious and bursting with energy. Clearly a case of opposites attracting. The love and attraction between the two is clear for all to see though. When we see them late in life, as portrayed by Judi Dench and Jim Broadbent, they are a playful couple that clearly adore each other and enjoy their time together greatly. He seems beside himself with joy while sitting and listening to her public speeches. She seems to take great comfort in his reassuring presence, always there supporting her.
When the first hints of her illness appear, they are very troubling to say the least. When an author of 28 novels suddenly struggles to find a word, it's frightening. As the movie progresses, her condition grows worse. Soon she's watching children's shows because she can't deal with more complex things. Eventually, she's nearly mute, sitting quietly, completely unaware of her surroundings or what she had lost. Her husband is suddenly thrust into the more dominant role in the marriage and he struggles mightily with it. Much of the impact of what has been lost is evident in his face and reactions.
All of this is horrendously depressing naturally. What makes watching it tolerable is a format that constantly flashes back to the time where Iris and John first meet and fall in love. In this timeframe, Iris is played by Kate Winslet and John by Hugh Bonneville. Amazingly, through acting, hair and makeup, there is never a doubt for a second that we are looking at the same characters. Bonneville and Broadbent in particular, look and act so similarly that it's almost hard to believe its two different actors.
This is a character driven movie and the acting is what makes it work so well. Judi Dench is excellent as the older Iris, although as her condition worsens, Dench has much less to do. Her best scenes are early on while she's still sharp. Broadbent is endlessly charming as her husband. He dotes on her and just oozes with love for his wife. When she starts to fall apart, there is this desperate panic in his eyes that lies just under the surface, the calm cheerful face he puts on for his wife's benefit. The younger pair have different purposes. Winslet has to show us the fierce intelligence of this character and that she does well. Bonneville plays John as more of his own man, although one clearly falling so hard for Iris that its no surprise how he is in the future.
As I said, this is character driven, not plot driven. The plot is clear within the first ten minutes of the film and little attention is paid to it after that. We get almost no sense of what Iris believes in or what she writes about. The focus is on the romance between John and Iris and her illness exclusively. Anything else is glossed over quickly. This could put off fans of Murdoch's work that might be looking to learn more about her.
This is not a feel good movie. While it does have a lovely romance, it is hopelessly sad and depressing. What the disease does to Iris is so devastating that is can be hard to watch. This isn't so much a film about a famous novelist but instead a film about the ravages of Alzheimer's. So be warned that you're not going to leave this film feeling very cheerful. None the less, it's a solid picture worth some attention.
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