Con’s Score: 2 Quills
Kenneth Branagh takes on Shakespeare’s last days in his latest Producer-Director-Actor project. It’s an epic task and he’s enlisted Ben Elton as writer along with a slew of good friends in the main roles.
After the Globe Theatre burnt down in 1613 William returns home to his stately manor and mourns his son Hamnet, (Sam Ellis) who died at age 11 of the plague. Strange thing is, he died in 1597 so William’s a bit late to the wake, and how patient has Hamnet’s spirit been, waiting so long for him? But it wouldn’t be a Shakespeare without a spirit.
Shakespeare’s been a stranger to his family, as he’s been away in London, running the Globe and being a production manager between writing plays. His wife Anne Hathaway, (Dame Judi Dench) denies him her bed. Younger daughter Judith (Kathryn Wilder) is a bitter spinster, who lashes out at him. Eldest daughter, Sussanna (Lydia Wilson) is having an affair, which makes sense when you meet her puritan husband John Hall (Hadley Fraser).
This film brings out his family’s dramas, a contrived storyline about his son’s writings, and an interesting nuance about his bisexuality. His scene with his mentor, the Earl of Southampton (Sir Ian McKellen) is the best in the movie, when they throw Shakespearean lines back and forth. It’s a pity Sir Ian is in a silly blonde wig and only has a few scenes before galloping into the night.
More of this would have been worth savouring. With a subject matter that’s so inviting it’s disappointing there isn’t. The problem with having such a powerful central personality like Branagh is that he has no one to restrain his self indulgence. He gives his prosthetic nose lots of prosaic poses and close-ups. There is also lots of gazing off into the middle-distance and pregnant pauses. Another director would have edited them out or directed this better. Instead, this feels like a well shot midday drama.
The challenge for a script about the great bard, is to be as word-worthy as one of his works. Ben Elton’s script isn’t. It’s very “Bold and Beautiful Does Shakespeare” standard. When you hear the line: “Do you remember …” you know you’re in for a bit of exposition, and this film has lots, without his flourish. Elton wrote the Shakespeare comedy Upstart Crow and Black Adder… but it doesn’t make him a good drama screenplay writer, and this script proves how far apart they are.
It brings out some bad performances amongst the support cast; I can’t name them all – it’s unfair when they’re not given the words to be more than caricatures, but they’re hard to like. What should have been powerful and historical was tired and hysterical. Judith’s transformation was unbelievable even if it was based on truth. But they’re all props for Kenneth. (Cue a dramatic hand-to-forehead… and hold while I finish, Kenneth.) Judy Dench does well with what she has but is way too old for her character – she’s 26 years older than him! Branagh is a good actor who needs a better director and McKellen upstages the lot of them.
Here’s an idea that could have soared but flaps about. It may boldly claim ‘All is true’ but it’s a promise it truly fails to live up to.
Con Nats – On The Screen
