Review of Prick Up Your Ears (1987) by Alex F — 24 Jun 2007

This film is the story of the spectacular life and violent death of British playwright Joe Orton. In his teens, Orton is befriended by the older, more reserved Kenneth Halliwell, and while the two begin a relationship, it's fairly obvious that it's not all about sex.

Orton loves the dangers of bath-houses and liaisons in public restrooms; Halliwell, not as charming or attractive as Orton, doesn't fare so well in those environs.

While both long to become writers, it is Orton who achieves fame - his plays "Loot" and "What The Butler Saw" become huge hits in London of the sixties, and he's even commissioned to write a screenplay for the Beatles.

But Orton's success takes him farther from Halliwell, whose response ended both his life and the life of the up-and-coming playwright.....

A great movie with some great performances from the two leads, but one has to take the source material with a heavy pinch of salt. the fact is, just having been to an Orton exhibition, it is evident that the diaries that this movie is based upon, were heavily edited by Ramsey, who had typed a new version of Ortons diaries for Lahr, who interprets them through his biography.

It's very humbling and 'Ortonesque' to know whilst watching this that the real truth will probably stay with his family and in the islington flat, where they both expired. but the film oozes class and the film really goes to Molina who shines as the tortured Halliwell, a sort of innocent depressed drama queen, who craves all the attention and credit that Orton is receiving throughout.

The film is helped by a fantastic screenplay by Alan Bennett and is laugh out loud funny. all in all a great biography of the Leicester playwright, but one feels it is shining the kind of light on Ortons personality.