Twelfth Night: Or What You Will (1996)

User Rating:

7.1/10   

Director:

Trevor Nunn

Writers:

Trevor Nunn (adaptation)
William Shakespeare (play)

Release Date:

25 October 1996 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Tagline:

Before Priscilla crossed the desert, Wong Foo met Julie Newmar, and the Birdcage was unlocked, there was...

Plot:

Brother and sister Viola and Sebastian, who are not only very close but look a great deal alike, are in a shipwreck...

Plot Keywords:

Mourning | Shakespeare | William Shakespeare | Shakespeare's Twelfth Night | Cross Dressing

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Imogen Stubbs	...	Viola
Steven Mackintosh	...	Sebastian
Nicholas Farrell	...	Antonio
Sydney Livingstone	...	Captain (as Sid Livingstone)
Ben Kingsley	...	Feste
James Walker	...	Priest
Helena Bonham Carter	...	Olivia
Nigel Hawthorne	...	Malvolio
Mel Smith	...	Sir Toby Belch
Imelda Staunton	...	Maria
Toby Stephens	...	Duke Orsino
Alan Mitchell	...	Valentine
Peter Gunn	...	Fabian
Richard E. Grant	...	Sir Andrew Aguecheek
Tim Bentinck	...	First Officer

Also Known As:

Twelfth Night

MPAA:

Rated PG for mild thematic elements.

Runtime:

134 min

Country:

UK | Ireland | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

Iceland:L | South Korea:15 | Singapore:PG | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Brazil:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Spain:T | Sweden:7 | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Cotehele House, St Dominick, Cornwall, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

In Twelfth Night, the character of Orsino is several years older than Viola. However, at the time of the film's release, Imogen Stubbs (Viola) was 35; 8 years older than Toby Stephens (Orsino), who was 27.

Goofs:

Audio/visual unsynchronized: Feste's guitar playing for Cesario (Viola) and Orsino does not match up with the soundtrack.

Quotes:

Feste: Good madonna, why mournest thou?
Olivia: Good fool, for my brother's death.
Feste: I think his soul is in hell, madonna.
Olivia: I know his soul is in heaven, fool.
Feste: The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul being in heaven.

Movie Connections:

Version of Twelfth Night, or What You Will (2003) (TV)

A beautiful adaptation

Trevor Nunn's beautifully photographed and acted, deftly written film is one of the most enjoyable adaptations of a Shakespeare play ever made. Helena Bonham Carter is pitch perfect as the beautiful Olivia, who in "deep mourning" for her dead brother, falls in love with Cesario (who happens to be a woman named Viola dressed up as a man, wonderfully played by Imogen Stubbs, the only actress I've ever seen able to create both a charming Viola and a totally believable Cesario), meanwhile Viola falls for the Duke of fictional Illyria (the exquisite Toby Stephens) who is desperately in love with the Lady Olivia. Meanwhile, Viola's lost twin brother (Steven Mackintosh of "Gentlemen Don't Eat Poets", excellent again here) winds up in Illyria and adds to the confusion. Wonderful, layered support comes from Ben Kingsley playing Feste, Olivia's fool. The only flaw, perhaps, is the few minutes before the conclusion when everything seems to be coated with a thick gloss of sugar; the film comes through this unscathed. Trevor Nunn comes through with an exquisite Shakespeare film adaptation (which is a do or die task). A great showcase for the heavenly cast featuring some of the best performances ever by Bonham Carter (save "Wings of the Dove"), Kingsley (in his best supporting turn ever), novice Stubbs, and Stephens. A very worthwhile effort. Rent it, you won't be let down.