This version of Wilde's classic should probably have been called The Importance Of Re-making Earnestly such is the banal presentation of the rich source material and no amount of hot air balloons crashing to the ground and incongrous dream sequences can make up for this.
For those unfamiliar with the plot (what have you been doing with your life?) a pair of single gentleman invent imaginary friends and relatives in order to excuse themselves from engagements they would rather not attend. However one weekend their tale tales conspire against them and their respective loves confuse them for the same imaginary person and something has to give.
The original filmed version did a good job of moving this theatrical stalwart onto the big screen however since there is no money to be made by re-releasing that into theatres the producers of An Ideal Husband have got Rupert Everett back into a nice suit and filmed the the rest of the cast out with as little invention as possible (indeed the risky decision of casting the American Reese Witherspoon leads to a mildly amusing accent reminiscent of Queenie from Blackadder, but that wears things soon enough).
The strength of the production values seem to be in inverse proportion to the enthusiasm of the cast (as is so often the case) and each time one of them utters a Wlide witticism they make an expression roughly equivalent to a small dog expecting a treat. This leaves no sembalence of character and if the story has any drive in it then it surely hasn't got any gas to achieve forward motion.
Those who are yet to see a version of The Importance Of Being Earnest will doubtless find pleasure in their first encounter with some of the wonderful prose, however those more aware of Oscar will be less impressed.