Not surprisingly, Dame Judi Dench, Jim Broadbent, and Kate Winslet all earned well deserved Oscar nominations for their beautifully nuanced performances in the bio pic Iris. What's most disheartening is the exclusion of the wonderful Hugh Bonneville who's turn in this movie is every bit as important as his co-stars.

This movie is about famous novelist Iris Murdoch and her forty year romance with John Bayley, a professor at Oxford. Sadly, the film makers have chosen to put an emphasis on Iris' bout with Alzheimer's disease, rather than really giving us an in depth look at this extraordinary woman's life. Thankfully, the powerful performances keep Iris from becoming a cheesy disease movie of the week.

Judi Dench and Kate Winslet play the old and young Iris Murdoch. Dench is absolutely graceful as the aging Iris, displaying a warmth and intelligence that really add depth to this character. Winslet provides an interesting contrast as the young and adventurous Iris. She is both energetic and quirky as the famed novelist in her early years. Jim Broadbent and Hugh Bonneville play the old and young John Bayley. Broadbent (who was also terrific in Moulin Rouge) is fantastic here dealing with feelings of undying love and absolute frustration towards his ill wife. Bonneville not only looks like a young Broadbent, but captures some of his mannerisms as well. He is both sympathetic and vulnerable as a youthful Bayley.

Iris has an interesting narrative. As the elderly Iris battles her disease, we are introduced to her world as a young lady through a series of flashbacks that take place throughout the film.

Again, the screenplay by Richard Eyre puts more focus on Iris's battle with this awful disease. A film celebrating her fascinating life would have been more welcome, but that hardly makes this a bad movie. Charles Wood does a good job balancing both time frames. Although, I found the flashbacks slightly more interesting because they seem to give more insight into what these people are all about.

Iris is really a celebration of love. It's about a most unlikely couple who would spend most of their lives together despite obvious hurdles. And despite moments that feel slightly disjointed, the brilliant cast manage to hold our attention.