Not what I expected.
Added 10/29/2009
When I ordered this, I expected a DVD not a book. Although it was not what my Granddaughter needed, she did manage to use it in her studies. So all went well anyway. She did get a good grade too.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Made a lot of changes, but it works
Added 8/6/2009
I personally feel that you should keep all of the dialogue from a Shakespeare play when you do a version of it. However, that would create a huge problem. It would last for a while. I usually compare this version with the version done in the late sixties by the Royal Shakespeare Company, with Ian Holm as Puck. While that version mainly tries to have as much of the dialogue as possible, this version puts in more visuals. This also includes more incidental music, and moments where they set the scene up.
This movie has mainly taken dialogue out, but of what little dialogue they've added, they've only added one-word lines, and lines in italian with subtitles. Like usual, they brought it to a more modern time, which gives them different things that they can do. I feel that the acting and costuming is wonderful, and some of the scenes are done very well. I have never seen such a great version of the play at the end. I feel that having scenes without dialogue, just showing the settings of the scenes are done very beautifully.
I'm unsure what Shakespeare would think of this. However, he would probably appreciate how his work is still being done today. If you are willing to see Shakespeare being reinterpreted, get this, if you think that everything must be done exactly like the original, you won't like this.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
It's like watching magic
Added 7/14/2009
This is my favorite Shakespeare story. It is like watching magic. There is comedy, a love story and a story about a group of performers trying to put on the best show for a wedding celebration. It makes love so much fun to watch!
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
Good movie
Added 5/22/2009
I enjoyed it. Bought it for an English 102 assignment, but enjoyed it nonetheless. Made the Mrs. watch it too.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
A Romantic Comedy sans the Comedy...and Romance
Added 5/21/2009
A Midsummer Night's Dream is one of Shakespeare's funnier plays.
Yet, even with a fantastic cast, the director seems to be completely oblivious to that fact. This production seems to have been directed by a man that, not only has never seen a production of the play before, was completely oblivious to the fact it was a comedy.
The cast is completely wasted on this laughless mistake. Rupert Everett mumbles through Oberon's lines, rendering them devoid of emotion. Michelle Pfiefer has one fleeting moment, but vanishes into the production values for the rest of the time. Sophie Marceau is wasted as Hipplolyta. Calista Flockhart, fully capable of slapstick hilarity as any fan of Ally McBeal will recall, is reduced to screeching and tears. Christian Bale is miscast as a young lover. And last but not least, the wonderful Stanley Tucci, is reduced to playing a world weary Puck, until he inexplicably rides around on a bicycle giggling like a little girl.
The final major scene features a group of incompetent actors performing a butchered scene to an incredulous audience of royals. I have seen this done by first year college students with side-splitting hilarity the result, but here, a comic master, Kevin Kline, is forced to pitch a dog into the audience to try and get a laugh.
One of the saddest things I have seen on film.
As a last note, why has it become neccessary to throw some random boob shots into a movie just to get a PG-13 rating? Just a split second of some random nymphs in a pond, topless, for no discernable reason.
Avoid at all costs.
0 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
