I'd agree with you on the Americans, with one exception: Denzel seemed to have at least a basic understanding of what the lines actually meant, and was certainly miles better than the lump of wood generally known as Keanu Reeves.

It's one of the few movies I own - and not for the er...rustic charms of the shower scenes.

I saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern about 25 years ago in a college production that my sister worked on. It was excellent on stage -- although that was my opinion as a 17 year old, so it might not count for much -- and thought the whole premise, etc. was brilliant.

I though Much Ado About Nothing was a decent production; Branagh is always good.

Keanu is, well, Keanu. Letterman had a Top Ten list a few years back called "The Top Ten Signs Your Dog is Gay", and one of the entries was "Thinks Keanu Reeves is a really good actor." I think the only movie he was good in was the original Matrix; but that was mainly just stage direction, not acting ("Neo looks into camera intently. Runs from Agent Smith.") By far the funniest movie he was ever in -- unintentionally so -- was The Devil's Advocate. The combination of Keanu grimacing and Al Pacino SHOUTING. HIS. LINES. made for some pretty amusing fun.

I saw R&GAD on stage in college and thought it was hilarious, but like the Colossus, the opinions I held at 17 or 18 are probably now some what suspect.

I guess everybody saw Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead in college. I did, and I loved it at the time, but the play should probably be left buried in the past. It's a little sophomoric, in the nicest possible sense of the term.

On the subject of Branagh, I'm part of a minority--okay, all of a minority--who think the guy's somewhat overrated. I didn't see Much Ado (although the shower scene comments are making me intrigued), but Love's Labours Lost was a pretty uneven piece of work. The notion of presenting the play as a Thirties musical comedy was brilliant, but Branagh's staging was fairly clumsy, and he edited the script with a meat-axe. And Alicia Silverstone as the Princess of France did absolutely nothing for me. The role could have been handled equally well by an inanimate carbon rod.

I had completely forgotten, merciful memory, Love's Labours Lost. There's clearly good Branagh and bad Branagh. I own Much Ado, too.

R&GAD is better read than seen, is my take. I wasn't fond of either the movie or the high school play version I saw.

I think you're hard on the 'mericans, except for Keanu the rock. I liked Denzel so much (though his lines were a bit measured) that I wished he'd gotten the girl.