True story of the lifelong romance between novelist Iris Murdoch and her husband John Bayley, from their student days through her battle with Alzheimer's disease.
Acting
Four performances, one seamless soul — Winslet to Dench is uncanny.
Writing
Adapts Bayley's memoirs with painful, unsentimental honesty.
Director
Richard Eyre
Kate Winslet
Young Iris Murdoch
Judi Dench
Iris Murdoch
Jim Broadbent
John Bayley
Hugh Bonneville
Young John Bayley
Penelope Wilton
Janet Stone
Samuel West
Young Maurice
Timothy West
Older Maurice
Kris Marshall
Dr. Gudgeon
Juliet Aubrey
Young Janet Stone
Derek Hutchinson
Postman
Juliet Howland
Emma Stone
Saira Todd
Phillida Stone
Stephen Marcus
Taxi Driver
Pauline McLynn
Maureen
Eleanor Bron
Principal
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Jim Broadbent won an Oscar for playing John Bayley; he originally auditioned for the younger role but convinced Eyre he was born to play the older, more pathetic version.
The film's structure mirrors Iris's condition — chronological memory collapses, leaving only emotional truth. Young and old Iris never share a scene because the film argues she literally cannot meet herself.
US
GB
