Cast the name William Shakespeare out into any GCSE classroom and the inevitable hisses, curses and foaming-at-the-mouth will be proof enough that his legacy amongst the literary world is everlasting.
However, this movie from director Roland Emmerich takes up the notion that the man known as Will Shakespeare was not responsible for writing any of the plays or poems we study to death, but in fact, were written by a nobleman who had to remain anonymous in order to use the writing for political motives. This is an actual theory taken up by many in the world of Shakespeare.
The film stars Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, and David Thewlis amongst the world of The Bard, and the performances are of good standard, in particular Ifans who plays the inspired nobleman who writes the beautiful words we see in the likes of Hamlet, Othello and Macbeth.
Where the film falls down is its inability to tie together this scandalous theory with a cohesive plot. The characters intertwine and meander so much that the plot becomes thicker than a pint of witches’ brew, and the complicated twists and turns begin to feel less thrilling, and more annoying.
Overall though, it is a well made film in terms of aesthetics (London looking like a grimy Venice) and the tension rises enough to make the film engaging. Not a classic piece of biopic power (see Nixon or JFK), but a mildly entertaining film with enough ‘ye olde English’ to make you feel warm and fuzzy.
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