Love's Labour's Lost (2000)

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Kenneth Branagh (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 March 2000 (Norway)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

A New Spin on the Old Song and Dance

Plot:

An update of the classic Shakespeare story, director Kenneth Branagh shot this movie like a classic 30s musical. Love's Labour's Lost tells the story of four best friends who swear off love.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Princess | Bet | Directed By Star | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Alessandro Nivola	...	King Ferdinand of Navarre
Alicia Silverstone	...	The Princess of France
Natascha McElhone	...	Rosaline
Kenneth Branagh	...	Berowne
Carmen Ejogo	...	Maria
Matthew Lillard	...	Longaville
Adrian Lester	...	Dumaine
Emily Mortimer	...	Katherine
Richard Briers	...	Nathaniel
Geraldine McEwan	...	Holofernia
Stefania Rocca	...	Jacquanetta
Jimmy Yuill	...	Dull
Nathan Lane	...	Costard
Timothy Spall	...	Don Armado
Anthony O'Donnell	...	Moth (as Tony O'Donnell)

Also Known As:

Peines d'amour perdues (Canada: French title) (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sensuality and a brief drug reference.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

France | UK | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:6 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Trivia:

Mercade was offered to Stephen Fry.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: While the movie's concentrating on what is obviously WW2, one of the paper shown announces the end of the war on November 11, which is in fact the date of the end of WW1 (the end of WW2 being on August 15).

Quotes:

King Ferdinand of Navarre, The: How well he's read, to reason against reading.

Movie Connections:

References Singin' in the Rain (1952)

Soundtrack:

I've Got a Crush on You

Enjoyable Musical-Shakespeare

This movie should be taken for what it is... experimental Shakespeare. Those expecting a loyal and painstaking presentation of the bard's work will likely be disappointed. Then again, so would someone searching for intelligence in Zoolander or Dumb and Dumber (both of which, I enjoyed after adjusting my expectations). To make a fair comparison, one must consider this movie against other experimental Shakespeare productions. I would say that it is on par with the adapted Romeo and Juliet from the 90's to give a rough idea. Certainly I have seen worse. For example, an adapted Hamlet (at our local Shakespeare in the park) with shameless pop culture references gratuitously inserted, including a spoofed scene of The Matrix. Anyway, I enjoyed the musical selection and dance routines (especially Adrian Lester's) of LLL very much with only a few exceptions, and would recommend this as a "date" movie.

"Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve"