All is True is an ironic title. You would be hard pressed to see Kenneth Braunagh under all the makeup that transforms him into William Shakespeare. And then there’s Shakespeare’s older wife (played by Judi Dench) with her smoldering resentments. Shakespeare’s family is dysfunctional and now that Shakespeare has “retired” he finds it hard to fix all the problems his absence in London shielded him from. I liked Shakespeare’s daughters, Susanna (Lydia Wilson) and Judith (Kathryn Wilder). I wish more of All is True dealt with their stories rather than with Shakespeare’s grieving.
The focus of All is True is Shakespeare’s dead son, Hamnet. Shakespeare feels guilty because he wasn’t home when his son died. Shakespeare was riding home from London, but arrived too late for the funeral. Years have passed, but Shakespeare’s guilt has festered. The Earl of Southampton (Ian McKellen) visits Shakespeare and the movie provides a strong vote that Shakespeare’s Sonnets were addressed to the Earl. But that’s just a diversion from the real story of this movie.
Despite the excellent cast, I found All is True a bit of a bore. The movie moves at a glacial pace and doesn’t know when to end. Do you have a favorite work of Shakespeare? GRADE: C+
THANK YOU George. I was considering a special trip across town to see this — now I’ll wait for the DVD at Redbox.
As for the film not knowing when to end: Ever notice how in so many of Shskespeare’s plays, the drama ends before the play does?
Dan, you are so right! Shakespeare’s plays sometimes have “false endings” and sometimes stagger on after the climax happens. ALL IS TRUE is “true” to Shakespeare in that way, at least.
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. We’ve seen several different productions (and the movie, with Branagh and then wife Emma Thompson), all with different settings and periods, and they all work.
Jeff, Branagh knows his Shakespeare and MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING might be his best work. I like Branagh’s HAMLET, but I don’t love it.
Since I had French and Latin in school and only later a bit of English I couldn’t read Shakespeare’s works in the originals when I was young.
But Roman Polanski’s movie of Macbeth made a very strong impression on me!
Wolf, Roman Polanski’s films had strong impressions on me, too. CHINATOWN especially.
Count me in the MUCH ADO column, primarily for Beatrice & Benedick, my favorite pair of lovers in Shakespeare.
Deb, I’m fond of Josh Whedon’s version of Much Ado About Nothing that came out in 2012.
TWELFTH NIGHT. I am seeing Othello next week at Stratford. I have seen most of them by now and many multiple times due to our proximity to Stratford.
Patti, I’m a big fan of TWELFTH NIGHT. OTHELLO was Bill Crider’s favorite play by Shakespeare.
I’ve enjoyed LEAR the couple of times I’ve read it. I also liked TEMPEST. I don’t think I’ve seen it performed, nor any other of his plays, though I have seen snippets.
Rick, we saw the 1971 Peter Brook film version. By the end, I was ready to scoop my own eyes out with a teaspoon.
Rick, I think KING LEAR is Shakespeare’s greatest play, but it contains so much sadness I find it hard to watch.
As for the movie, I’d skip it.
My most favorite was a fifties version of MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR in London. We saw and enjoyed many in the Delacorte in Central Park when we were young and could sit on the lawn all morning waiting for free tickets. My knees no longer will allow that and it has become so popular with famous people that you just can’t get tickets. I love all the comedies and, of course Romeo and Juliet.
Jackie
Jackie, I love Shakespeare’s comedies, too. But my favorite Shakespeare play is the infrequently performed Troilus and Cressida.
I wouldn’t enjoy it because I can’t stand Dench!
Bob, Judi Dench is suffering from macular degeneration. She can’t read any more and has to learn her lines by having someone read them to her so she can memorize them.