I went along to see the latest movie adaptation of 'The Importance of being Earnest' on Monday night. The film features Rupert Everett, Colin Firth and the ubiquitous Judi Dench, but the real star of course is Oscar Wilde's base material. As a movie, it provides for an entertaining 90 minutes but purists will find much to gripe about. Indeed much of Wilde's original dialogue has been excised from the film and any film that can afford to leave out material as sharp, witty and insightful as Wildes needs to be damn sure of itself.

Incidently, as an example of the timeless quality of Wilde's work, the following passage from the play is one that has relevance to a large proportion of the blogs in existence today...

Algernon: Do you really keep a diary? I’d give anything to look at it. May I?

Cecily: Oh no. You see, it is simply a very young girl’s record of her own thoughts and impressions, and consequently meant for publication. When it appears in volume form I hope you will order a copy....