With a West End revival of Joe Orton's classic play Entertaining Mr Sloane, it seems fitting that we look back to its film re-make. Its bizaree and sureal balance of comedy with deeply complex thematic focusses offer a supurbly original tale which still holds great releavance for a modern audience. Issues such as murder, religion, sex slavery and violence are all dealt with, yet Orton's ability to push these boundraries leaves a satisfying and bemusing experience.
The film tells the story of a middly aged and desperately lonely widow (Kath) who happens on Mr Sloane, a gut-wrenchingly beautiful man, overly comfortable with his own sexulaity, a amolr psychopath whose odd tendancies are never fully resolved leaving a mysterious veil over someone we should hate but infact almost admire due to his irreverent lifestyle and dizzying charm. He becomes their lodger and with numerous attempts to enforce herself on Sloane he defeats. Whilst this derraged affair continues we are introduced to Ed, Kaths brother whose family realtion is more than questionable. This sunsequence revealtion of his own sexulaity leets in a subverted and twisted decision to share the love of Mr Sloane despite being fully aware of his evil deeds.
Although the films overuse of double entedres become somewhat dated and cringeworthingly frequent, its controvertial edge has remarkably stood the test of time in a society which has been virtually drained of all shock value factors. Four prefectely twisted and ulitmately quirky formed perfomances help the film resonate, maintaining its cult appeal and stayling true to the dark atmosphere so intricately crafted by Orton. An aire of Britain we rarely see now is captures efforltessly in this tale of how far lust will take a person, an exploration on the British obssesion with sex which is refreshingly sordid and grubby in its portrayal.
H xx
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