Saucy, ambitious, inventive and whimsical-- this movie is *the* perfect antidote for all the insipid archaic-dress versions of Hamlet you may have seen (Mel Gibson anyone?).
Granted, Baz Luhrman was there first with his 'Romeo & Juliet.'
But this Hamlet is the Twin Peaks answer to Luhrman's gaudy, sloppy prime-time soap opera.
Each actor (whatever their respective strengths) turns in one of their most solid performances in recent memory.
Reading some of the negative reviews, I have to wonder what movie these folks were watching, and what they were expecting...? If you like your Shakespeare done 'straight' (bo-ring), then why bother picking this film up?
It's worth mentioning that despite the complaints, almost two-thirds of those who voted on this movie here gave it a '7' or better... this film's average rating would be much higher if not for the votes of humorless whiners who want to punish this film for presenting up-level ironies and creative visual translations that will-- gasp-- require even those familiar with the story to pay attention to what's on the screen from start to finish.
The flavor and nuance of this version just gets better with repeated viewings-- from the leather-jacketed, motorcycling Horatio (Karl Geary, perfectly cast) to Bill Murray's spineless, blindly cynical Polonious, to yes, the infamous video store scene-- which is, by the way, meant to be ironic.
If you like your films to take chances, and want to see a talented cast throw themselves with wit and passion into a director's hip and edgy take on *the* archtypal tale of existential despair, you owe it to yourself to check out this version of Hamlet.
Granted, Baz Luhrman was there first with his 'Romeo & Juliet.'
But this Hamlet is the Twin Peaks answer to Luhrman's gaudy, sloppy prime-time soap opera.
Each actor (whatever their respective strengths) turns in one of their most solid performances in recent memory.
Reading some of the negative reviews, I have to wonder what movie these folks were watching, and what they were expecting...? If you like your Shakespeare done 'straight' (bo-ring), then why bother picking this film up?
It's worth mentioning that despite the complaints, almost two-thirds of those who voted on this movie here gave it a '7' or better... this film's average rating would be much higher if not for the votes of humorless whiners who want to punish this film for presenting up-level ironies and creative visual translations that will-- gasp-- require even those familiar with the story to pay attention to what's on the screen from start to finish.
The flavor and nuance of this version just gets better with repeated viewings-- from the leather-jacketed, motorcycling Horatio (Karl Geary, perfectly cast) to Bill Murray's spineless, blindly cynical Polonious, to yes, the infamous video store scene-- which is, by the way, meant to be ironic.
If you like your films to take chances, and want to see a talented cast throw themselves with wit and passion into a director's hip and edgy take on *the* archtypal tale of existential despair, you owe it to yourself to check out this version of Hamlet.