Iris

R

Released Dec 14, 2001

1 hr. 30 min.

Drama

List

79%

112 Reviews

Tomatometer

73%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Two of the most acclaimed actresses of our time, Judi Dench and Kate Winslet, bring to the screen one of the most extraordinary women of her generation, celebrated author, Iris Murdoch. From her days as a brilliant scholar at Oxford, where she thrilled the world around her with her libertine spirit, through her career as a philosopher and novelist, Iris was truly ahead of her time.

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Critics Consensus

A solidly constructed drama, Iris is greatly elevated by the strength of its four lead performances.

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KB B

This was such a sad and moving film. The acting was very good. It's worth the watch but can be intense. 3.5 stars

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

11/01/23

Full Review

jona i

Excellent performances in this intriguing character scope

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, and Jim Broadbent star together based on the 1999 memoir English author Iris Murdoch was one of the most celebrated writers in Britain She graduated from Oxford and had a very libertine spirit Iris later became a philosopher and a novelist with her husband John Bailey The story contrasts the start of their relationship, when Murdoch was an outgoing, dominant individual compared to the timid and scholarly Bayley, and their later life, when Murdoch was suffering from Alzheimer's disease and tended to by a frustrated Bayley in their North Oxford home in Charlbury Road It's a solid drama no doubt and Dench, Broadbent, and Winslet lead the film with their committed performances But the whole thing feels like a depressing emotional roller coaster A lot of the editing is jarring going from this couples youth to their senior years Might actually bring some viewers' spirits down given how much Iris and her husband go through given her condition Not a very joyful experience but the actors are trying their hardest as any couple leaving an illustrious career behind while battling internal problems Doesn't hold much replay value but this couple makes it bearable

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

jordan m

This is the type of quiet movie with little enough actual plot or anything else going on that it allows itself to be carried on the strength of its cast's acting prowess, and they had it in spades here. Not only did Broadbent firmly deserve his Oscar win, doing more with his star vehicle than Ben Kingsley did with Sexy Beast, the rest of the cast (particularly the young versions) were only a few steps behind him. Bonneville seemed to be playing a young version of Broadbent himself rather than John Bayley and did a really entertaining job of it; if Broadbent had been moved to the Best Actor category I would've liked to have seen Bonneville nominated for his performance. Winslet did great in a stripped down sort of way (pun intended; she wore plain clothes & no makeup when she had any on at all) but I actually wasn't enamored with Judi's performance. I think the problem was more with the lines she was given but ultimately I didn't find her portrayal of Alzheimer's particularly believable. I'm happy to have seen this even if its primary redeeming quality was Broadbent being an absolute legend.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

You cannot trust the critics without knowing their age. A young-ish person, say 40 and under, would have a very different take on this movie than someone 65+. At 74, I understood and appreciated the story, the acting (of course), the makeup, and the poor housekeeping that plagued them in their later years. I didn't identify with the characters, but I understood what they were feeling and experiencing. As a result, it deeply hit home. The Alzheimer's that eventually took Iris is always a fear to an older person. I think an older critic would appreciate this stellar movie much more than a recent college graduate with a degree in English.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

steve d

Not an easy watch but the performances make it worth it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Richard Eyre

Director

Judi Dench

Iris Murdoch

Jim Broadbent

John Bayley

Kate Winslet

Young Iris Murdoch

Hugh Bonneville

Young John Bayley

Penelope Wilton

Janet Stone

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 4/5

Dec 30, 2006

Full Review

Steve Davis

Austin Chronicle

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 3, 2002

Full Review

Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

[The] performances, if nothing else, embody a standard of excellence that Iris Murdoch herself would surely have cheered.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 28, 2002

Full Review

Samiya A. Bashir

Curve

Winslet and Dench play off each other in perfect pitch.

May 24, 2022

Full Review

Alistair Lawrence

Common Sense Media

This in an informative, well-acted biopic of a woman whose life's work deserves to be preserved and remembered.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 23, 2021

Full Review

Sophie Gorman

The Herald (Ireland)

Powerful performances and a sensitive script in Iris combine in such a powerful manner that the effect is almost unbearably moving

Oct 17, 2017

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Two of the most acclaimed actresses of our time, Judi Dench and Kate Winslet, bring to the screen one of the most extraordinary women of her generation, celebrated author, Iris Murdoch. From her days as a brilliant scholar at Oxford, where she thrilled the world around her with her libertine spirit, through her career as a philosopher and novelist, Iris was truly ahead of her time.

Director: Richard Eyre
Executive Producer: Guy East, Anthony Minghella, Sydney Pollack, David M. Thompson, Harvey Weinstein
Screenwriter: Richard Eyre, Charles Wood
Distributor: Miramax Films
Production Co: Miramax Films
Rating: R (Sexuality|Nudity|Some Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 14, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 8, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.6M
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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