In 1882, the 27-year-old Wilde embarked on a 150-city tour of the United States, which set records for ticket sales at many of the venues he appeared and made nationwide headlines. Despite never having been to America before, Wilde was hailed and welcomed as a literary genius with an unflagging spirit and a unique wit — both of which are conveyed in the film. This romp reimagines Wilde's 1882 American tour as a present day cross-country roadtrip from New York City to Hollywood, CA. Along the way, Oscar finds the queer joy, love, and liberation that eluded him 141 years ago, with the attendant themes of diversity, identity, and inclusion beautifully expressed in the film. The current Oscar goes from one city to another revisiting those historical places where he could fine all of the above.
This film clearly is not for everyone. I tried to focus and like it but it was almost impossible to. I am not even sure what the makers were trying to say here. On paper this idea may have sounded fun but maybe this is gonna appeal to only a very very niche audience, the percentage of which is going to be minuscule IMO. Maybe I am not the kind of audience that the makes are targeting, but I mean still, there needs to be something interesting. Oscar Wilde was such an interesting persona. All the humor and wit is completely missing here. The film doesn't even really focus on his sexuality aspect until the very end. This one was big bore and disappointment, especially when I was expecting to watch something very colorful. (2/10)
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