The return of Ealing Studios to the cinema screen was marked with a coolly received remake of Oscar Wilde's "The Importance of Being Earnest". It doesn't seem as if the welcome for the DVD release will be much warmer in terms of what it offers.

TECHNICAL FEATURES

Picture The lush glossy veneer of this handsomely staged film transfers to disc with rich solid colours.

Sound A gentle 5.1 mix absorbs us into olde world London with considerable atmosphere.

SPECIAL FEATURES

Audio Commentary Director and scriptwriter Oliver Parker chats generally about making the movie without giving much away. Indeed, he spends too much time commenting on the work of seasoned actors whom we're already well aware of.

If you're after Parker's thoughts on the Oscar Wilde play, he does talk a little about adapting it for the screen, and how naturally he feels its structure fits a modern movie.

Making of This is no more than 14 desperately dull minutes of random behind-the-scenes footage of the shoot.

Behind-the-Scenes This seven-minute featurette is typical in its promotional nature, and offers little more than quips from the actors on how good a writer Oscar Wilde was. We knew that already. Thanks anyway.

TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Region: 2
Chapters: 13
Ratio: 2.35:1 (anamorphic)
Sound: Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and DTS 5.1 ES
Audio Tracks: English
Subtitles: English
Captions: None
Menus: Static and silent
Special Features Subtitles: None of the special features come with subtitles.

This DVD was reviewed on a JVC XV-S57 DVD player.