Following the grisly murder/suicide of acclaimed but short-lived bawdy playwright Joe Orton (Gary Oldman) by his unstable boyfriend (Alfred Molina), new light is shed on the relationship and unthinkable crime when poured over by a biographer (Wallace Shawn) and Orton's cynical agent (Vanessa Redgrave). With a brilliant, humorous, and sordid screenplay (which grows a little wearisome near the end), Stephen Frears' Prick Up Your Ears strives for authenticity and benefits greatly from superlative performances by Oldman and Molina.
*** 1/2 out of ****
