As You Like It (2006)

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

Kenneth Branagh (adaptation)
William Shakespeare (play)

Release Date:

1 September 2006 (Italy)

Genre:

Drama | Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

Romance...or something like it.

Plot:

Rosalind, the daughter of Duke Senior (the banished duke), is raised at the court of Duke Frederick...

Plot Keywords:

Forest | Cross Dressing | Court Jester | Exile | Sonnets

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 1 win

Cast

Takuya Shimada	...	Geisha
Brian Blessed	...	Duke Senior / Duke Frederick
Richard Clifford	...	Le Beau
Bryce Dallas Howard	...	Rosalind
Patrick Doyle	...	Amiens
Romola Garai	...	Celia
Adrian Lester	...	Oliver De Boys
Alfred Molina	...	Touchstone
Kevin Kline	...	Jaques
Janet McTeer	...	Audrey
Gerard Horan	...	Denis
David Oyelowo	...	Orlando De Boys
Richard Briers	...	Adam
Nobuyuki Takano	...	Charles
Paul Chan	...	William
Alex Wyndham	...	Silvius
Jimmy Yuill	...	Corin
Jade Jefferies	...	Phoebe
Jotham Annan	...	Jaques de Boys
Jonathan Broadbent	...	Duke Senior Man
Justin Hoong-Fai Chan	...	Duke Senior Man (as Justin Chan)
Iain Stuart Robertson	...	Duke Senior Man
Youki Yamamoto	...	Duke Senior Man
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sacha Bennett	...	Frederick's Aide (uncredited)
Kenneth Branagh	...	Himself - offscreen voice (uncredited)
Chuen Tsou	...	Oliver De Boys's Henchman (uncredited)

Directed by
Kenneth Branagh

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Kenneth Branagh		adaptation
William Shakespeare		play

Produced by
Kenneth Branagh	....	executive producer
Kenneth Branagh	....	producer
Judy Hofflund	....	producer
Simon Moseley	....	producer

Original Music by
Patrick Doyle

Cinematography by
Roger Lanser

Film Editing by
Neil Farrell

Production Design by
Tim Harvey

Art Direction by
Christian Andersson

Set Decoration by
Abi Groves

Costume Design by
Susannah Buxton

Makeup Department
Joan Hills	....	additional makeup artist
Joe Hopker	....	additional makeup artist (as Jo Hopker)
Susan Howard	....	makeup artist (as Sue Howard)
Geraldine Jones	....	additional makeup artist (as Gerry Jones)
Katie Lee	....	makeup trainee
Richard Muller	....	additional make-up
Loulia Sheppard	....	hair stylist
Jenny Shircore	....	makeup designer
Colin Wyatt	....	additional makeup artist

Production Management
Alistair Hopkins	....	post-production supervisor
Angus More Gordon	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jonny Benson	....	third assistant director
Dan John	....	second assistant director
Josh Robertson	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Les Benson	....	dressing props
Brian Bovingdon	....	carpenter
John Butler	....	painter
Joe Cassar	....	stand-by carpenter
Clive D'Cruze	....	stagehand
Gene D'Cruze	....	contruction manager
Roger Dawson	....	carpenter
Glyn Evans	....	painter
Fiona Forsyth	....	art department assistant
Peter Graffham	....	stand-by rigger
Glyn Hayes	....	painter
David Haynes	....	chargehand painter
David Haynes	....	painter
Michael Law	....	carpenter
Terry Law	....	carpenter
Ronald Leighton	....	carpenter (as Ron Leighton)
Paul Lynford	....	carpenter
Steve Macdonald	....	stand-by props (as Stephen McDonald)
Danny Margetts	....	supervising carpenter
Steve Marquiss	....	painter
Maxie McDonald	....	property master
Neil Murrum	....	dressing props
Roy Sibley	....	painter
Steve Sibley	....	painter
Darren Sowerby	....	carpenter
Brian Stagg	....	carpenter
George Stagg	....	stagehand
David Stapleton	....	painter
Gary Stopps	....	carpenter
Danny Thomas	....	carpenter
Iain White	....	stand-by art director

Sound Department
Howard Bargroff	....	sound re-recording mixer
Owen Bleasdale	....	foley editor
Owen Bleasdale	....	foley recordist
Ed Colyer	....	sound mixer
Glen Gathard	....	sound
Peter Glossop	....	sound mixer
Dan Johnson	....	sound re-recording mixer
Andrea King	....	foley artist
Melissa Lake	....	foley artist
Gareth Llewellyn	....	adr recordist
Stephane Malenfant	....	sound assistant
James McWilliam	....	programmer
Shaun Mills	....	boom operator
Bernard O'Reilly	....	supervising sound editor
Emma Pegram	....	adr assistant
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley editor
Barnaby Smyth	....	foley recordist
David Turner	....	sound technical coordinator
David Tyler	....	sound
Michele Woods	....	supervising dialogue editor

Special Effects by
Chris Corbould	....	special effects technician
Gail Corbould	....	special effects coordinator
Ian Corbould	....	special effects technician
Paul Corbould	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
John Claude	....	digital grader
Stephen Elson	....	visual effects producer: Baseblack
Per Karefelt	....	research & development support: Baseblack
John Kozak	....	research & development support: Baseblack
Donal Nolan	....	digital compositor
Chris Panton	....	digital compositor: Baseblack
Petra Schwane	....	digital compositor: Baseblack
Paul Shore	....	digital film supervisor
Val Wardlaw	....	visual effects supervisor: Baseblack

Stunts
Bruce Cain	....	stunt performer
Richard Dwyer	....	stunt performer
Richard Hansen	....	stunt performer (as Richard Hanson)
Chris Newton	....	stunt performer
Trevor Steedman	....	stunt coordinator
Arran Topham	....	stunt performer
Steve Truglia	....	assistant stunt coordinator
Matthew Webster	....	stunt performer (as Matt Webster)
Rod Woodruff	....	stunt coordinator
Bruce Cain	....	stunt double: Brian Blessed (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
John Adefarasin	....	additional second assistant camera
Ray Bateman	....	electrician
Mark Binnall	....	key grip
Pete Cavaciuti	....	Steadicam operator (as Peter Cavaciuti)
Pete Cavaciuti	....	camera operator: "b" camera (as Peter Cavaciuti)
Aaron Douglas	....	crane operator
Andy Edridge	....	grip
Laurence Edwards	....	crane operator
Laurence Edwards	....	crane technician
Warren Evans	....	rigging electric
Brian Greenway	....	camera trainee
John Jordan	....	additional first assistant camera
Russell Kennedy	....	additional second assistant camera
Sean McClory	....	focus puller
Julian Morson	....	Steadicam operator
Julian Morson	....	camera operator: "b" camera
Jennie Paddon	....	second assistant camera: "a" camera
Gary Parnham	....	rigging electrician
Mike Parsons	....	electrician
Ken Pettigrew	....	gaffer (as Kenny Pettigrew)
John Saunders	....	rigging electric
Laurie Sparham	....	still photographer
Brian Sullivan	....	best boy electric
Tom Taylor	....	central loader
Nathan Mann	....	daily focus puller (uncredited)

Animation Department
Ben Bradley	....	digital artist

Casting Department
Abigail Barbier	....	adr voice casting
Louis Elman	....	adr voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Barbara Brady	....	additional set costumer
Anthony Brookman	....	additional set costumer
Andrew Hunt	....	additional set costumer
Steve Hyams	....	additional set costumer
Caroline McCall	....	assistant costume designer
Fiona McCann	....	costume supervisor
Faith Thomas	....	costume assistant
Jackie Thomas	....	additional set costumer
Wyn Vaughan-Humphreys	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Greg Barrett	....	senior digital grade producer
Stephen Bearman	....	film scanner
Rebecca Budds	....	digital media coordinator
Steve Farman	....	negative cutter
Neil Hurford	....	color grader
Andrew Melhuish	....	first assistant editor

Music Department
Christopher Benstead	....	music editor
Lucy Evans	....	assistant music producer
Evyen Klean	....	music consultant
James McWilliam	....	additional orchestrator
Basil Moore	....	composer: stock music (as Basil Moore-Asfouri)
Lewis Morison	....	assistant to composer
Maggie Rodford	....	music producer
James Shearman	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Terry Pritchard	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Janine Abery	....	assistant production coordinator
Finlay Bradbury	....	assistant location manager (as Finlay Pile)
Roisin Carty	....	dialogue coach: Bryce Dallas Howard
Emma Dent	....	horse mistress
Steve Dent	....	horse master
Colin 'Digger' Digby	....	armorer
Abigail Doyle	....	personal assistant: Patrick Doyle
Sarah Hayward	....	script supervisor
Oliver Hazell	....	office runner
Dan Hillsdon	....	assistant accountant
Sid Hoare	....	Japanese consultant
James Hobson	....	floor runner
Sarah Hood	....	set production assistant
Stuart Hopps	....	choreographer
James Keaton	....	production runner
Paul J. Memmi	....	translator
Richard Morrison	....	title designer
Clarissa Newman	....	production coordinator
Ruth Nicol	....	unit nurse
Charlie Reed	....	daily floor runner
Megan Roberts	....	floor runner
Lara Sargent	....	post-production accountant
Shruti Shah	....	production accountant
Kerry Smith	....	assistant accountant
Neil Swain	....	dialect coach: Bryce Dallas Howard
Tamar Thomas	....	assistant to director
Clive Trott	....	location manager
Roger Wakeman	....	armorer
Laura Windebank	....	additional floor runner

Production Companies

• BBC Films
• HBO Films
• Shakespeare Film Company

Distributors

• HBO Films (2007) (USA) (TV)
• Lionsgate (2007) (UK) (theatrical)
• Medusa Distribuzione (2006) (Italy) (theatrical)
• Dutch FilmWorks (DFW) (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• HBO Films (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Lionsgate (2008) (UK) (DVD)

Special Effects

• Baseblack (visual effects)

Other Companies

• Shepperton Studios  movie studio
• ARRI Lighting Rental  lighting equipment supplied by
• ARRI Media  camera and lenses
• Air-Edel Associates  music services
• Fig Productions  titles
• Fuji Photo Film  motion picture film supplied by
• Mad Dog Casting  extras casting
• Midnight Transfer  post-production facilities
• One Post  titles
• Professional Negative Cutting  negative cutting
• Salon  editing equipment
• Sapex Scripts  post-production script
• Sapex Scripts  post-production services
• Varèse Sarabande  soundtrack
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  sound post-production
• Videosonics Cinema Sound  sound re-recording
• West Trend Apartments  accommodation agent

Also Known As:

MPAA:

Rated PG for violence and some sexual material

Runtime:

127 min

Country:

USA | UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:PG | UK:12A | Portugal:M/12 (Qualidade)

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

BBC Films

Trivia:

Originally announced as a Picturehouse Entertainment release, the film was then picked up by HBO.

Quotes:

Rosalind:Nay, an you be so tardy, come no more in my sight: I had as lief be wooed of a snail.
Orlando De Boys:Of a snail?
Rosalind:Ay, of a snail; for though he comes slowly, he carries his house on his head; a better jointure, I think, than you make a woman: besides he brings his destiny with him.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 14th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Under the Greenwood Tree

Beautiful, but with shortcomings

As You Like It is my favorite Shakespearean comedy, and my high expectations of the new Branagh version were not put to shame. Set in a lush, beautiful forest in an imaginary old Japan, populated by people of all races, this version is an innovative and modern one rather than a conventional and classical one - and it works.

The female main characters, Rosalind, Celia, Phebe and Audrey, are all immensely good, effortlessly throwing around both unbridled enthusiasm and unwavering character acting. In fact, Celia is near to outshining Rosalind; only her obviously bleached hair detracts from her charm.

The male characters are, sadly, far less distinctive, with the exception of Alfred Molina's Touchstone, who's delightfully silly - almost too much so. Kevin Kline's Jacques is not bad either, but he doesn't really steal the limelight to any great extent, the way he perhaps should. In a production as colorful as this one, Jacques greyness gets a bit lost.

(Edit: I will say that this version gains from repeated viewings. It is a great modern adaptation of Shakespeare's perhaps most joyous comedy.)

I did feel that a lot of the original text was missing, and this, as is so often the case with Shakespeare movies, is this production's worst shortcoming. Not enough of the delightful Rosalind rhymes which almost define the play ("Winter garments must be lined / So must slender Rosalind") are included, which is a grave, grave error in disposition. If this play was often made into movies, that judgment might be justified, but since the play is adapted so rarely, it cannot be.

The overall filming and cinematography are excellent, however, with plentiful gentle camera movement and many close-ups, focusing admirably on the strong emotions exchanged between the characters, and the language is fluid as well as florid, spoken in a very modern, sometimes even casual, tone, as we have come to expect from Branagh's very accessible Shakespeare films.

We are many who wonder why this film has not received a wide cinematic release. It has been shown only on a few film festivals, and this January it will be out on DVD, at least in Italy. Is it going straight to DVD without a run in international theaters? Why?? Is it really seen to be so obscure and uncommercial that no distribution company will commit to it? If so, distributors should be ashamed.

My rating: 9 out of 10.