Judi Dench,
Kate Winslet,
Jim Broadbent,
Hugh Bonneville,
Penelope Wilton
... see more 
Based on a pair of memoirs by her husband John Bayley, this biographical portrait of writer Iris Murdoch stars both Judi Dench and Kate Winslet as the philosophical author at different stages of her l... read more
DVD Release Date: August 20, 2002
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Stats: 514 reviews
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Flixster Reviews (514)
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October 29, 2011Whilst the performances and cast we very good and well suited to each other, I feel like this is supposed to make Iris look like a great person who had a brilliant life but what I saw was completely to the contrary. They showcased Iris to be a selfish, horrible and uncaring woman... read more
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January 29, 2011Heart wrenching true story of the remarkable life of Iris Murdoch and her utterly devoted husband John Bayley. I found myself having flashbacks of The Notebook and of my own grandmother's spiraling decline into darkness. God damn Alzheimer's disease.
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November 24, 2010Each individual performance was influenced by the actual character, but personality leaked in undoubtedly. Judi Dench, so utterly amazingly, took on Alzheimer's without her usual grace, which not only surpirsed me, but made me respect her more. Winslet was her usual whimsical sel... read more
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November 3, 2010While I watched this film, I enjoyed it. i enjoyed Dench's convincing portrayal of the Alzheimer's-afflicted Murdoch and Winslet as the vivacious younger Murdoch, and I was astounded by Jim Broadbent, who deserved the Oscar for Murdoch's stuttering, inferior-complex-afflicted, d... read more
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June 9, 2010"Her greatest talent was for life"
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.REVIEW ... read more -
July 8, 2007it's SO hard to rate movies like this because even though i don't enjoy the movie i understand the art behind it. like the acting was absolutely fantastic. dame judi dench's acting goes beyond skill; she has a visceral understanding of the art of acting and executes brilliantly. ... read more
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April 18, 2011Though a bit underdeveloped, confusing and inconsistant in its times jumps, "Iris" is still a quite well-acted, well-written, emotional and ultimately, rather immersive biopic.
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April 4, 2007True story about an author's fall from Alzheimer's disease. Judi Dench paints a terribly sad portrait and Jim Broadbent gives an achingly tender supporting performance.
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July 11, 2010This one fell flat for me. I didn't feel the emotion of the struggle. "Away From Her" is much better at showcasing what Alzheimer's does to people and relationships. Even the "Notebook" is more spot on...
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September 5, 2009Iris is a life story of the British novelist Iris Murdoch and her battle with Alzheimer's disease. Iris was portrayed in youth by Kate Winslet and in old age by Judy Dench, who was perfect in this role. The story was told through scenes of their younger life to the older life. W... read more
Critic Reviews
March 1, 2002
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
February 28, 2002
Jay Boyar, Orlando Sentinel
[The] performances, if nothing else, embody a standard of excellence that Iris Murdoch herself would surely have cheered.
February 26, 2002
Peter Howell, Toronto Star
The impoverished story keeps Iris from achieving greatness, but no qualifiers are needed for the acting. Full Review
February 23, 2002
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
For a movie whose subject is the decline and fall of a towering intellect, there's precious little to think about here. Full Review
February 15, 2002
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
There are not two, but four sterling performances here.
February 15, 2002
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Not just a fitting document of a life brilliantly lived but a vibrant, almost palpitating piece of cinema. Full Review
February 15, 2002
Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle
The performances are the raison d'etre... Full Review
February 15, 2002
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer
Because the performances are so powerful, one nearly forgets that in its vaulting between the '50s and '90s, Iris is a story with a beginning and end but without a middle.
February 15, 2002
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
Those who have had a loved one fall prey to the mental ravages of Alzheimer's will see in Iris a depiction that is so lucid and accurate that it may be painful to observe. Full Review
February 15, 2002
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle
As the story of heroic response to tragic illness, Iris is the kind of film often cynically pegged a 'disease of the week' movie. But unlike such formulaic TV productions, Iris' heroine is denied the ... Full Review
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Iris
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