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The general commentary on this movie is that Kenneth tried something experimental with Shakespeare -- that is, transforming it into a true musical, punctuating or replacing various scenes with classic prewar songs by Berlin, Gershwin, Porter, and others -- and that, for the most part, the experiment worked.
Some of the changes were very welcome. Timothy Spall's rendering of "I Get a Kick Out Of You" is brilliant, with bits that put me in mind of "Bullshot Crummond." The masked ball scene (avilable on the DVD as a "deleted scene" -- and believe me, it deserved to be deleted) was replaced with a wonderfully-performed tango, "Let's Face the Music and Dance." The effects in "Cheek to Cheek" took me completely by surprise.
Of the deleted scenes on the DVD, only two -- a hilarious, if brief, bit of physical comedy with the stuffed bear in the library, and the original Pageant of the Nine Worthies -- truly deserved to be left in. The latter was replaced by Nathan Lane and the cast of that play-within-a-play performing "There's No Business Like Show Business," and while this was a very good piece (and, unfortunately, Nathan's only song) I would have rather seen the Nine Worthies in full production. Kenneth directed it with a warmth and good humor not often seen in this part of the play, an atmosphere providing for a beautiful segue with the sad news leading to the show's end. And the end, which I've normally seen with only sadness and loss, is given a bittersweet warmth that blends wonderfully with Branaugh's "postwar" coda.
In conclusion, while it's not a top-notch piece of work -- too much to ask, I think, for such a daring and experimental project -- it has many brilliant touches and will probably affect how many directors approach Shakespearean comedies for years to come.
Between this and "Hamlet," I hope Kenneth will see his way clear to direct "The Merry Wives of Windsor" before long.
score 8/10
bobgreenwade 12 August 2005
Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw1148498/ |
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16-11-2020 02:01:13