July 24, 2006
Gratuitous Llama Netflix Movie Review
T'other evening, I popped in th 1999 movie version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream.
Well, all I can really say is that if you'll buy Calista Flockhart's treatment of the Bard, you'll buy anything. Also, sooper-sekret note to Shakesperian movie makers (yes, I'm talking to you, too, Branagh): THE RUDE MECHANICALS ARE THERE FOR CHEAP LAFFS, NOT AUDIENCE EDIFICATION ABOUT THE LIFE OF THE LITTLE GUY, DAMMIT. Thank you.
Seriously, tho, it was an interesting experience, given that not only did I study AMND in college, but I also played in a college production of it while in law school. (I was Lysander, the romantic hero. Of course.) It's been a while since I had my lines down cold, but I couldn't help thinking as I watched that somebody had been a little free and easy with the editing pen here.
And here's something else that occured to me as I watched. (Now bear with me here, because it gets a little complex.) I thought that Rupert Everett did at least a passable job as Oberon, but you know who'd be really cool to see in the role: CiarĂ¡n Hinds.
That's CiarĂ¡n Hinds.
Who he, you ask? Well, if you've followed HBO's pretty good Rome miniseries at all, he's the guy who plays Julius Caesar. And if you caught the second Lara Croft movie, which I did recently, he plays the bad guy whose name escapes me. (And just a side note about Cradle of Life: Okay, it's pretty lame. But it's Angelina Jolie in a skin-tight wetsuit. What the hell else do you want?)
Anyhoo, this Hinds fellah has such commanding eyes and such a reserved air of power about him that I'd love to see him as Oberon going up against Titania some time.
"Tarry....rash wanton."
See? I think it would work.
So long as Titania was played by somebody other than Michelle Pfeiffer, that is.
Snerk.
Posted by Robert at July 24, 2006 03:00 PM | TrackBackI didn't see the AMND movie. Was it worse than Claire Danes and what's his name (you know the annoying skinny guy from Titanic) in Romeo and Juliet - which really rocked! (NOT!)
I particularly liked the idea the a "sword" was a brand of 9mm semi-automatic. Yeah that worked.
At the end of that movie, I agreed with the Prince, "All are punished!"
Posted by: Zendo Deb at July 24, 2006 06:17 PMI will always remember the first day of the Shakespeare class I took in college. The professor walked in in 10 minutes late. in costume, looking like a Democratic Party mascot and uttered the line "Bottom entered with the head of an ass."
Posted by: Stephen Macklin at July 24, 2006 08:37 PMSome of the ladies here may remember Mr. Hinds from his role in "Persuasion" (which you pictured here). Yes, by Jove, if I do say so myself. Yes, indeed.
Posted by: dillene at July 24, 2006 10:19 PMI was going to mention Persuasion as well. And I definitely second the "Yes indeed" sentiment. He's an incredible actor and mighty easy on the eyes. The film version of Persuasion he's in is also very good and stays true to the book (which is one of my favorites by Austen.)
Posted by: beth at July 25, 2006 06:59 AMHinds is great in Persuasion. He's also very good in Munich.
Posted by: jen at July 25, 2006 09:41 AMHe was also a theatre impressario in the film version of Phantom of the Fargin' Opera. He drank champagne out of Minnie Driver's shoe.
I saw it, and I thought it sad how far Caesar had fallen.
Posted by: The Colossus at July 25, 2006 09:54 AM
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