FirstWitch
A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.
Myron Clemons
A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.
Phillipa
Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.
Amy Adler
In Shakespeare's classic story, four lovers are playing cat and mouse. Hermia loves Lysander but her father prefers Demetrius. Demetrius, now smitten with Hermia, once courted Helena before he chose to abandon her. Helena still loves Demetrius dearly and persists in following him around. Hermia's father demands that she marry Demetrius and leader Theseus agrees with him. Hermia and Lysander secretly plan to meet each other in the woods and elope. Elsewhere, a group of amateur players are planning a production of Pyramis and Thisbe for Theseus and his lady, Hippolyta. And, the fairy world, led by Titania and Oberon, are feuding among each other and playing tricks. Puck, one of the conniving fairies, is sent to straighten out the love story between Helena and Demetrius, Hermia and Lysander. Puck bungles his assignment. And all on a summer's night! This gorgeous production is inventive and accessible. Watch the fairies arrive by umbrella and the amateur thespians travel by motorcycle, of all things! The principal actors are exceedingly wonderful, although not many of them have household names. One quibble was the production's ending. It failed to give us the resulting triumph of love for the four mixed-up lovers. Nevermind. This is a wonderfully unusual but superior film that proves, indeed, that Shakespeare is a keeper for the ages and ages to come.
o_levina
Why this film is so underestimated? May be, because the same production looked better on the stage? Well, I've never seen it on the stage and am totally satisfied with the screen version. It is a wonderful mixture of a fair-tale dream and amusing comedy of characters and situations. The most startling thing about the film is the settings, which are colourful, imaginative, and picturesque, with magic lights. Costumes are also fascinating – artfully invented type of dressing for heroes of English boy's dream. I think that introduction of the boy is very clever and helpful in a film. The movie is beautiful and superbly performed. Alex Jennings and Lindsay Duncan act splendidly, and so does Finbar Lynch. But I especially like the love-quadrangle of Lysander-Hermia-Demetrius-Helena. Young actors are very spirited. Shakespearean text wasn't unnecessary edited and RSC actors speak it brilliantly. There is also a lot of fun. The production of that absurd Athenian troupe is just as ridiculous as it was meant to be, I think. I find plenty of things to enjoy about the movie; highly recommend it to everybody. P.S. Englishmen are extraordinary lucky to have the opportunity of enjoying RSC productions on the stage. What the rest of world would do without films?
drn5
This film is based on a wonderful stage production that was staged by the RSC in 1994. On stage it was superb, and I think of it as one of the best times I've ever had in the theatre.The film, however, is a complete mess. All the effects that were so magical in the theatre - the forest of lightbulbs, the flying umbrellas, the mysterious doors - look ridiculous when they're turned into bad computer graphics. And although some of the performances are good - especially Alex Jennings and Des Barritt - the pacing of the film seems poor. In particular, the mechanicals scenes are stilted and unfunny - and 'Pyramus and Thisbe' is mangled with poorly-timed slapstick and glooping sentimentality. And most annoyingly of all, Noble introduces a Macauley Culkin lookalike, who runs around being wide-eyed and imaginitive, infusing the film with unnecesary Hollywood schmaltz.I regard this film as a brave, but poorly-executed attempt at translating faithfully a stage production to film. It doesn't really work, but at least Noble's vision is more imaginitive than the other films of the 'Dream'. And bad though the film is, it's still better than the ghastly Michelle Pfeiffer / Kevin Kline version, which should be avoided like the plague.
TwzzlrFrk
After it's been through hundreds of different settings and thousands of different interpretations, it's hard for directors to come up with original concepts for William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream". As a result, we either get productions with highly original concepts that are terribly distasteful or we get a rather conventional interpretation that leaves us bored.Adrian Noble has tried to transfer this masterpiece from the stage to the screen, and I'm afraid that he doesn't do a particularly good job. The concepts are original and quite intriguing, but the movie itself lacks the dynamism that this play has when performed on stage. The concept of adding The Boy is in my mind great, especially for the movie. Otherwise, I find the settings bland and monotonous.The Royal Shakespeare Company does an excellent job in acting (of course they do - it's the RSC!) and I would love to see this performed on stage. As for the movie . . . not incredibly satisfying.
