I was anticipating beauty in "Dorian Gray," but I seriously question whether Oscar Wilde would approve of something this blandly attractive or morally questionable! Ben Barnes attempts to rise to the challenge as the central character, but he doesn't quite succeed. “Gray” is a young man who socializes widely and sets ambitious goals after coming into possession of a small house in London. He quickly becomes entangled with the more dissolute aspects of society, guided by "Lord Wotton" (Colin Firth), and begins to distance himself from his previously influential friends like painter "Hallward" (Ben Chaplin). A portrait painted by that artist appears to absorb the increasingly selfish and unpleasant qualities of “Gray.” Regardless of how awful he acts, he seems to possess the ability to remain young forever. He treats those around him with contempt and manages to make enemies of almost everyone. The plot takes a surprising direction when he becomes infatuated with "Emily" (Rebecca Hall, who doesn't leave much of an impression)—the daughter of his deceptive guide. “Wotton” is content to watch over his protégé’s exploitation, but not within his own sphere of influence—and that’s when the situation begins to escalate for the overly self-assured freethinker. Could there be a chance for some kind of atonement? Perhaps for "Dorian," but not really for this slow-moving drama that depends too heavily on our own interpretations instead of offering a vivid depiction of the ultimate embodiment of wickedness, which is what I was hoping for. Barnes comes across as simply too agreeable, and Chaplin also doesn’t quite measure up; though Firth performs somewhat better, it still lacks the nuance, playfulness, and impact of the original novel. To its credit, the film is visually appealing and worth seeing, but ultimately it's rather underwhelming.

Source on TMDB