I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

That was an excellent one.

Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

A Major Disappointment

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

Joe Orton was just 34 when he was battered to death in August 1967; had he lived, he would almost certainly have become one of the greatest dramatists of his age. But Orton had a dark side, and it was this that contributed in no small measure to his untimely demise.This play begins with his murder and then fast forwards twenty years. Orton was killed by his male "lover" Kenneth Halliwell, who took his own life immediately afterwards. They may have lived together, written together, and ultimately died together, but that was as far as their similarities went, because while Halliwell was a lost soul, tortured by his homosexuality, Orton revelled in it, and in a brazen depravity which would have made him a more than suitable target for the "Operation Yewtree" witch-hunt that ensued nearly a half century after his death.Orton's diaries were published by John Lahr in 1986, and depraved they are. This TV dramatisation revolves largely around the diaries and their publication, covering Orton's early life briefly, how he met Halliwell at RADA - for which Orton had won a scholarship - their failed collaboration on literary works, and their bizarre crimes for which they were each sentenced to six months imprisonment, and which paradoxically was the making of Orton. (Neither the first nor the last time that has happened)."Prick Up Your Ears" - an obvious anagram just in case it was not obvious to you - strives for authenticity, and succeeds. Fortunately the play/film does not dwell on Orton's cottaging misadventures, though it does show him and Halliwell in Morocco doing unspeakable things with young men, at least some of whom were underage. Although the Beatles do not appear herein, we do see Brian Epstein, who while himself homosexual had nothing but contempt for Orton, and would not allow him to sully the image of his charges. Sadly, he would die a mere 18 days after Orton, in dissimilar but equally controversial circumstances."Prick Up Your Ears" is a worthy biographical document, but don't watch it unless you have a strong stomach.

Stephen Frears's seriocomic biopic tells the story of Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell in flashback, framed by sequences of John Lahr, played by Wallace Shawn, researching the book upon which the film is based with Orton's literary agent, played by Vanessa Redgrave. I couldn't care less about the story being told in flashback. This cinematic device is growing increasingly stale and unnecessary. But what makes this movie fascinating is its portrayal of Orton and Halliwell's relationship, which is so real and deep and truthful and profound that Gary Oldman and Alfred Molina, who happen to be two of my favorite actors, playing the two fated writers, might as well be right in your living room as you watch them.Orton and Halliwell's relationship is drawn from its initial stages at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Orton starts out as the inexperienced, amateurish youth to Halliwell's older scholar. As the relationship grows, Orton grows more and more doubtless of his ability while Halliwell's writing languishes. They descend into a twisted caricature of a conventional married couple, with Orton as the "husband" and Halliwell as the selfless and ever more overlooked and disregarded "wife." This could be a state of affairs made worse by Orton's incapability or reluctance, in 1960s England, to accept having a male life partner. Maybe, maybe not.The circumstance and descent of their relationship is heartbreaking, but what impresses me the most is the portrayal in and of itself, in the writing, in the acting. Joe Orton is an insatiable, fun-loving bottom boy with an artistic streak and from the start, he is most concerned with self-preservation, pleasure, materiality and substance. Without any self- doubt or feeling, Orton is inclined to exploit whoever would give him a leg up to a life of notoriety and privilege. When quiet, intellectual Halliwell endeavors to cultivate him, Orton takes advantage and Halliwell grows more compliant and eager to be immersed in the depths of his growing love for him.Halliwell alludes to childhood, which he gives the impression of being less pivotal than it really was for him, having been disregarded by his father and coddled dearly by his mother. His mother's death when he was a young boy was surely an immensely damaging turning point in his life, as when his father committed suicide, he came downstairs and "put the kettle on, got dressed and called an ambulance, in that order." He gives to the deficit of his mother in the natural way he lives his life, seldom enforcing his will save for his impressively rare breaking points, but operating by going with the flow of his innate emotions. He is inclined to travel the wave of his feelings for Orton, unable to help his protective, nurturing nature from integrating itself into Orton's life, even if it provides Orton with a convenient safety net and Halliwell himself with never-ending jealousy, disdain and longing for affection of any kind."Prick Up Your Ears" was to be the title of one of Orton's plays. The name was suggested by Halliwell who had provided much of Orton's titles all through the successful portion of his career. The cruelty of Orton's aloofness is infuriating, and the effect it had on the outsized emotional state of Halliwell is widely known, and demonstrated at the very beginning of the movie. Orton seemed only ever concerned with the quality of his own existence and seemed to an almost surreal extent to lack feeling.There is no true way of knowing how Gary Oldman and Alfred Molina interpreted these roles, how different they are from my interpretation and how similar they, or Alan Bennett's astute screenplay, are to the real people. Nevertheless, they deliver profound performances.

A TRUE STORY SET IN SIXTIES ISLINGTONBASED ON THE Joe Orton DiariesThis cleverly edited Comedy Drama/Bio of JOE (Loot) ORTON concentrates mainly on his plethora of talents - both lyrical and libidinal.A very touching film that has the ability by default to amuse and excite the gay/bi-curious audience.Perhaps, never before has a film broadened the understanding of the term "COTTAGE" and "TEA ROOM" - and when the anagram of "EARS" finally did the rounds after the film's release, and the 'man on the street' realised what was being 'pricked' - it gave a better preparation and understanding of what to expect from the film if you didn't fully relate to the lifestyle.If you were new to Joe Orton territory or to the maverick (then illegal) gay life style of the sixties... then this film does the era justice.Maybe the excessive casual gay sex that takes place immediately after 'a' funeral, and in a cottage after an awards night may give insight into the stereotypical gay deviant that gay men have been trying to get away from for so long; however the environs and situations in which it takes place lends more understanding to behaviour in given environments today.Strangely, I feel that Joe DOES show commitment to Kenneth - in a deeply hidden nostalgic way, but is unprepared to compromise his ego to share a sexual encounter towards the mid-end of their relationship.The film concentrates heavily on the slow and painful draining of Kennith Haliwell's state of mind as Joe's promiscuity becomes synonymous with his success. This will have you laughing and giggling one minute, then suddenly draw you into the dark and macabre reality of the love-hate relationship between Joe and Kenneth . . . POSSIBLE SPOILER ...Joe's ability to emotionally detach drives Kenneth to provide us with an utterly gruesome, bloody and violent ending.(I particularly wanted to make a contribution, as at the time I was in such a relationship, and we even did the 'going on holiday' bit, when it all fell apart... my partner at the time was a "Joe" driven character and I was certainly Kenneth ... gladly circumstances separated us before we enacted the end part of the film!) In memory to Jonathan ... if u ever read this - I'm Real Sorry)