Rupert Everett: Born to be Wilde
- Director: Jack Cocker
- Producer: Jack Cocker
CGiii Comment
Rupert Everett is a candid man. He lived the high-life and duly made some mistakes...and, some terrible films...of which he freely admits.
Now, settled in middle-age, Mr Everett has a mission, a passion, an obsession...to bring the latter years of Oscar Wilde's life to the silver screen. He performed these years on stage...to critical acclaim, so - surely - with his name, with the acclaim, with a few notable friends in-tow - funding would not be an obstacle. Wrong! The British Film Institute rejected his application [not even a phonecall from Alan Yentob could convince them otherwise], what followed was a 10-year financial trek...that took him to other countries: Germany, Belgium and Italy...where he found, with conditions, the money he needed.
Mr Everett is a little bitter with the BFI - when you have the likes of Colin Firth, Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson on-board...who can blame him! He persevered and The Happy Prince was completed...ironically having its British premiere at the BFI: Flare film festival!
What was meant to be some kind of self-filmed video diary...turned out to be something quite different, Mr Everett took the camera...but, refused to use it...that refusal works in this film's interest.
There's an unmistakable melancholia behind his fading rogue...he has wit, cheek and charm...and, a film to be proud of...a fine portrait of a Another Country's shining star.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
As an accomplished writer, Rupert Everett has published two critically acclaimed memoirs and a brace of novels. In 2008 he wrote his first film script: The Happy Prince, a romantic, tragic vision of the final years in the life of that great Irish poet and dramatist, Oscar Wilde. Turning that script into a feature film became an epic 10 year struggle for Everett, calling for reserves of tenacity even he didn't know he possessed. Born To Be Wilde joins Everett in 2013, halfway through his decade-long odyssey. Alan Yentob chronicles his journey from initial peppy optimism, through numerous false starts and setbacks, to eventual glory. The five year timespan allows us to understand what a towering achievement it is to get ANY movie made, and how impossibly hard it is to make a good one - the lunatic serendipity required.