Reptileenbu Did you people see the same film I saw?

Micransix Crappy film

Huievest Instead, you get a movie that's enjoyable enough, but leaves you feeling like it could have been much, much more.

Matho The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

pariah231 Normally, modern adaptations of Shakespeare tend to be clunky and forced; Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet" and Michael Almereyda's "Hamlet" are perfect testament to this. Even Richard Loncraine's "Richard III" falls on dull devices trying to place the action of that play in the imagined setting of World War Two. Perhaps it is that the tragedies and histories do not lend themselves well to being updated or embellished (see Julie Taymore's "Titus") and would best be left as they are.This adaptation of Twelfth Night, however, benefits greatly from the liberties Andrew Bannerman and Tim Supple take with it. Not only is the story better for the adaptation, but the songs are beautifully rendered and the acting and stage direction is superb.Also incredible is how much they accomplished with so little. This is quite obviously a low budget television adaptation with only a dozen or so sets and very few frills, but what the producers and directors manage to achieve with so little is startling. Whatever Bannerman and Supple made this for could not have exceeded the cost of a luxury car, but the film is a far better ride.

terry nienhuis I find this an almost impeccable film version of this very subtle Shakespearean comedy, far transcending my former favorite, the 1996 film version by Trevor Nunn, which now pales in comparison. Shakespeare's TWELFTH NIGHT was probably written shortly after HAMLET, around 1601 or 1602, and thus embodies all the complexity of thought and feeling that dominated Shakespeare's greatest period of dramatic productivity. This is not COMEDY OF ERRORS or even MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM. This is a hilarious comedy tinged with darkness, with Shakespeare probably finally processing the death of his only son, Hamnet, in 1596. This film version of the play captures all that complexity. It is outrageously funny in its dark way, deeply thoughtful, and very powerful in its emotional resonance. This film elucidates characters, character relationships, and situations as no other production I have ever seen. Even the usually, nearly invisible Fabian becomes an important figure in the play. I am especially thrilled by the fresh line readings, many of which have opened new doors for me after nearly 40 years and dozens of experiences with this text. However, many people will be put off by this version's style, which is liberated and far from what people expect from Shakespeare. If one can open one's mind and heart to what is actually here and accept the film's style as a legitimate artistic choice, the appropriateness and power of the camera work and soundtrack become part of this film's strongest features. It is a version that can move those inexperienced with Shakespeare and those who know the text intimately.

didi-5 Let's get the good things out of the way first. I loved the performances of Parminder Nagra as Viola and Chiwetel Ejiofor as Orsino; I quite liked the idea of using the back story that of asylum seekers (and the ambiguous ending where maybe it wasn't Viola's ideal happy ending); I thought using CCTV to watch Malvolio (a decent performance from Michael Maloney) in the garden was a great touch; and I liked the drum n bass feel to the songs.But - overall I felt the poetry of the play to be stifled in its new home, and some characters to either be too cardboard (Richard Bremner's Andrew) or too coarse to gain audience connection (David Troughton, a superb stage actor, possibly miscast in this version as Toby). Tim Supple has a reputation in theatre for his invention and his risk-taking. I think perhaps Twelfth Night stopped just short of what he could have done with it within the context of battles between nations and genders. It is the kind of play which thrives with different interpretations, but this one just leaves you a bit disappointed by the end.

Meesh A made-for-TV adaptation of William Shakespeare's play. Set in modern times with a multi-cultural theme, this is a rather sombre production of one of Shakespeare's comedies, bringing out the darker rather than the comic side of the characters. Sebastian and Viola are portrayed as asylum seekers, ship-wrecked and washed ashore on foreign island, each assuming that the other has drowned. Since they are identical twins, when Viola decides to pose as a man in order to find work it leads to all kinds of confusion including a love triangle involving the dignitaries of the land. Meanwhile amongst the servants and lower orders there is other mischief at work.