As You Like It...

[fajrdrako]

Oh what a lovely movie.

The 2006 Kenneth Branagh version of As You Like It starts with a ninja attack and ends with a wedding. It has all sorts of delights in between - I was laughing out loud at some of the jokes, and though among all Shakespeare's plays it's one I am largely unfamiliar with, it's amazing how familiar so many lines are. I quite loved Bryce Dallas Howard (Ron Howard's daughter) as Rosalind,and though I'm not sure she gave the role the strength and power it deserves, she certainly gave it charm.

Brian Blessed played both the Good Duke (in white) and the Bad Duke (in black) and each role was so different there was no shred of possibility of confusion. Well done.

Well done also to cast the three brothers Orlando, Oliver and Jacques de Royce with black actors. It made it instantly clear - among a crowd of characters - which were the brothers.

maaseru and I were both smitten by Alex Wyndham as Silvius. Gorgeous. maaseru kept pointing out that he was "born in 1981. 1981!" Yeah, well, say I, age doesn't matter. But, yeah, 1981.

Gorgeous anyway.

Kevin Kline was witty and sad as Jacques, suitably enough, and I even recognized him this time, though not in his first scene - I always have trouble recognizing Kevin Kline. Alfred Molino was oddly unappealing as Touchstone. Maybe it was the bad hair.

Not only do I want to see it again, I'm looking forward to seeing it again.

Part of the time I watched with the script in my lap, seeing who the characters were, and what dialogue Branagh cut. It taught me something about Shakespeare's pacing: he wrote in reverse pyramid style - almost all Branagh's cuts were the beginning of scenes, or the beginnings of passages. Shakespeare left the meaty bits for the end.

Why isn't this play performed more? It's totally the epitome of Shakespeare's style. It's classic.

And if you laid all those familiar lines end to end, well, you'd have just about the whole play. Can one desire too much of a good thing?

Comments

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

Patience [she said, stamping her foot]. I must have patience!

Somebody needs to link this review to the Ken-list [hint, hint].

Either that or just repost it there to give us something to talk about...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I'll do that - haven't had two unexhausted minutes to myself lately. A.S.A.P,

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Seems I can't post yet - I guess I'm still pending. Awaiting approval.

[filkferengi]

Thanks for the detailed review; I'll definitely track it down & watch it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Definitely worth it!

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I know that feeling. I just got back from a flying trip (almost literally -- I just drove about 800 miles in a day and a half to get back [g]) to, of course, Yellowstone (and several archives and libraries in Montana to do research for the new book), and I'm just now getting caught up. It's actually going to be a while before I am...

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I hope you had a wonderful trip! It sounds good. I'll send you further comments very shortly.

Trying to progress on the writing myself.

Time. Need more time.

[mmegaera.livejournal.com]

I had a wonderful, and, more importantly, very productive in terms of research for the sequel to Charley's story, trip. Way too short, but that's just the way it is. Came home with two new books, one of which was exactly the resource I needed for the heroine's background which I didn't think existed as a book [g], and the other about the stagecoach tour era of the park, which is when this one is set.

Not to mention about an inch thick stack of photocopies and about twenty pages of notes. I've got material coming out of my wazoo, which makes me very happy.

I'm really looking forward to your comments (she says, trying to be patient). I wish I could send you a few extra hours, but I have none to spare myself.