Genres

Visitors Review

2012-05-23 23:57:56

Beautiful production

This review is from: The Tempest (DVD) I had never seen a woman play the role of Prospero/Prospera before - but, if anyone could pull it off, Mirren's the one. (Following her lead, I heard of a regional theatre casting Olympia Dukakis in the role, another strong choice.) Maybe some purists might balk at the shift. Really, though, the themes of power and control are human themes, irrespective of the man or woman who wields them. If anything, the mother/daughter relationship with Miranda added sensitivity that the usual father/daughter interaction has trouble carrying. And, when Prospera's exile from Milan comes up, it seems especially credible a woman in power would be a prime target for the old boys' club of political potentates. The choice of Djimon Hounsou as Caliban added a complex edge to the role, too. Casting a black as Prospera's slave evokes some shameful episodes of history, at the same time it gives hope that we've moved past them. (Perhaps that's what keeps Shakespeare's work timeless: its ability to absorb and play back the issues unique to each era.)Production values were all you could hope for - magnificent scenes of stark, rocky shores being the most memorable. In a move not often asssociated with Shakespeare, Julie Taymor's direction added some amount of special effects. Although meaningful, they came across as less than special, possibly more of a distraction than an addition. I won't let that interfere with enjoying this movie, though. It really does render The Tempest in beautiful and thought-provoking ways.-- wiredweird

2012-05-23 12:18:12

What a disappoinment!

This review is from: The Tempest (DVD) I am a huge fan of Shakespeare. I have listened to audio versions of all of the plays and have seen stage productions of more than half of them. The Tempest is on my favorite plays. Helen Mirren is one of the greatest actresses of our times and I was excited to hear that she had been cast as Prospera. It was so promising! Unfortunately, the actual film is a total disappointment. This is one of the worst productions of Shakespeare that I have ever seen. The story is set on an island. The story offers the perfect opportunity for lush tropical settings. The producers of this film must have searched high and low for a particularly uninteresting area of coastline. Visually this film is very dull and unappealing. I've seen better staging in a theater. The Tempest is about magic. The staging of this film is unimaginative. There is no magic in the production, making the story pointless. I generally have no problem with Shakespearean language or with British accents. And yet I had huge issues comprehending what the actors were saying in large sections of the dialog in this film. Quite a few of them sound like they are mumbling.Unfortunately, this is the kind of dreary production that turns people off of Shakespeare. Watching this left me sad and disappointed.

2012-05-22 01:32:31

Rock video meditation on Shakespeare's final work.

This is not quite a new film, but I was finally able to catch it and now feel obligated to try to express my amazement. This latest big screen version of the Tempest was adapted and directed by Julie Taymor, and may well be the greatest incarnation ever filmed.Helen Mirren as Prospera is positively spellbounding. She is quickly becoming my favorite actress ever (after also catching her insightfully erotic performance as Ayn Rand elsewhere), and I sincerely doubt Shakespeare himself would have found any objection to her interpretation of Prospero. Or really, to this interpretation of his final work in general.Very stylishly shot with special effects that call to mind some of the most imaginative music videos ever produced, Taymor's film is starkly true to the plot and characters of the original play, with adjustments to the dialogue being pleasantly few and inconsequential. Every single freeze frame shot could easily be a conversation-inducing desktop wallpaper, to say the utmost least. Incredibly beautiful in scenery, make-up and costume design, all merge with effects and dynamic camera POVs to create just the right unearthly feel necessary for a totally complete immersion experience. The lyrical words beat a dreamlike rhythm, with the somewhat Gothic and hallucinatory imagery lulling the viewer into a state of introspective grace. This is not art-haus, this is high art.The wondrous cast includes Djimon Hounsou as Caliban in a performance that reminds you why he really is one of the most underrated actors working today. Also good were Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, and Alfred Molina, with Russell Brand providing energetic comedic relief in the form of Trinculo the jester- by leagues his singular greatest role to date.Why this movie did not receive more attention is a crime of the highest order, the fact of which is singlehandedly compelling me to return to reviewing the occasional film. This is a glorious work, not quite as profound as its source material though far more enjoyable a ride than any previous effort. And I would love if Taymor would set her sights on doing the same for King Lear...maybe starring Donald Sutherland in the title role?Regardless, this is highly recommended. A truly wonderful experience overall.

2012-05-21 19:11:42

An incoherent mess of classic Shakespeare

With a stellar cast that includes the indomitable Helen Mirren, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, Alfred Molina and others how could this film be so bad? Director Julie Taymor ("Across the Universe", "Frida") changes the exiled duke (Prospero) to a duchess (Prospera) but that really isn't the issue. Helen Mirren can play anything including a dude. The problem is that the film is truly incoherent. I guess if you were schooled in Shakespeare you would have a pretty good idea of what is going on but for those of us who've read but "Romeo and Juliet", it might be a struggle.Prospera (Mirren) being a sorceress in addition to her day job was convicted of witchcraft and sent to a remote island along with her young daughter. The story really begins years later when she summons a "tempest," i.e. a violent storm which sinks her brother's ship. He had usurped her as an accomplice to her banishment. All aboard survive and "walk" to shore. Prospera is aided by a nude flying fairy (Ben Whishaw) who appears to be a neutered young man. He can pretty much make anything happen and does at Prospera's command. Prospera's daughter Miranda (Felicity Jones, so good in "Like Crazy") has now grown into a woman and wouldn't you know, the King (Strathairn) who was also on the ship, has a cute son about Miranda's age. That hook-up goes as you would expect. The prince (Reeve Carney), seemingly out of nowhere, even breaks into song for the young Miranda. I don't think this was supposed to be a musical. The rest of the cast includes Djimon Hounsou as Prospera's defiant slave and Russell Brand as some vagabond companion of Molina's character. That trio just roams the island.The Blu ray 2.35:1 transfer looks excellent. The sound is in DTS-HD Master Audio but I will suggest you turn on the subtitles for the opening scene of the storm. I couldn't understand a word as the other speakers overwhelmed the center channel. After the storm all was well. This is not a good movie. Skip it.

2012-05-17 10:41:01

A cinematic adaptation of the classic play by William Shakespeare

Prospera, once the Duke of Milan and sorceress now reigns over a faraway island, living there with her daughter, Miranda. After 12 years of being abandoned she has an opportunity for revenge. However the ships may bring more than she planned on.It is impossible to have lived in the cinematic world and not come across any the other productions by Julie Taymor. With each of her productions she does not copy but enhances the originals in a unique way. In this case we have quite a few deviations. However as long as you are aware of the original play you can appreciate the deviations. Prospero is replaced by Prospera (Helen Mirren) one of the greatest actresses of our time. Julie's approach is different but does not go off the deep end and re-create a whole new story; as the story is just enhanced by dynamic technology and cinematic capabilities not available in earlier productions. And naturally a mother daughter story will have some different outlook than a father daughter story. The only drawback is the curt runtime forcing some reduction in dialog and addition of references.Added plusses of course first include Helen Mirren. Also the location (various untraded locations in Hawaii) is perfect. The underwater or through water scenes gave an ethereal feel.

Carmen 2012-05-16 21:05:20

Fab

Just what it says on the reel case! This is what the colonials lack! Quality cast and a quality production based on a story from the world's greatest pensmith.

2012-05-14 23:22:50

banana

This review is from: The Tempest (Amazon Instant Video) This would have been a great play rather than a movie. They actors recited their lines in play like precision. I expected more special effects from a movie like this.

a 2012-05-14 10:37:15

pretentious garbage

Just because you got together a bunch of decent English and American actors and made them recite Shakespeare on some desolate rock in the middle of the ocean, doesn't make it a great movie.In fact, it's a real pain to watch, it's full of its own greatness and is a major waste of talent and everybody's time. There have been great intense adaptations of Shakespeare's plays that looked modern even with the antiquated language, but this one is just morbidly bad. People (who were fans of the play, btw) were leaving the theater in large packs after the first 10 minutes.Ugh.

2012-05-12 20:46:49

shakespeare at his modern best

well filmed, well spoken, well interpreted....it is hard to imagine a more accessible re-telling of the tempest for a modern audience. the rhythm of the film left me feeling a groundling at the globe...the actors stepped into my living room and told a brilliant story of treachery, revenge and forgiveness. taymor is a genius.

Alex Vojacek 2012-05-12 05:15:12

Awful

I didn't knew the script nor the works of Shakespeare, nor should Ineed to know them to review and like a movie.Being that this one comes from Shakespeare, it's understandable to havesimilarities with the original work but the language used here is wayover the top for me. Reading a novel or watching a live play is onething, watching a movie is another thing all by itself.Director didn't care for us viewers as long as it can throw at us asmany lines as possible that resemble the original play, problem is thatthey came out totally wrong, out of place, not believable and withawful acting, except for Helen Mirren who totally rocks and tried herbest with the tools given to her, the rest of the cast sucks, CG isnice but the movie as a whole came out like being a tapestry ofdifferent ideas put out wrong. This is not a movie, this is a playpretending to be a movie and that sucks to be honest.The worst parts of this little fiasco are Ariel, making incrediblemoves to try to hide his penis, which for me is awful, since I preferto see a penis in an honest acting than trying myself to justify a good"moral" scene, totally unnecessary.The other aspect of the movie that is totally without justification isthe music and sound, since when rock and fantasy genres blend?... Badsound editing and I mean really bad, some dialogs are really low, someFX are really high and they are not balanced.Do not waste your time, if you want to know more about this story it isbetter to go see it in an actual play than try to watch is painful andextremely boring pretense of a movie.

Jim B 2012-05-11 13:13:39

It fits into a teapot

If Helen Mirren is on stage or in film, then it is well worth the scratch to go to see whatever it is she is in. Helen Mirren is simply a truly great actress and should never be missed in anything she does. Ms. Mirren plays Prospera the female version of Shakespeare’s Prospero the true Duke of Milan who with his daughter is exiled to drift at sea for eternity, eventually they crash land on a mostly deserted island where they remain stranded for more than a decade. This action was done by his brother Antonio aided by the King. Ms Mirren as Prospera takes over this same role, the true Duchess of Milan. Prospero is a magician so, so is Prospera. Prospera obsesses and plans the retaking of her position in Milan giving her daughter Miranda to the spot of Duchess. The film begins with the hurried upheaval of Prospera and her daughter. With the help of one of her aides, Prospera is secretly given food and water for survival along with her books and a magic staff for her craft before they are sent to sea adrift, left for dead. Later the day arrives when the King along with Antonio and others are sailing near the island where Prospera lays in wait. Prospera whips up a storm, her Tempest crashing the ship so that all survivors reach her shores where the bulk of the story is delivered.The film. Director Julie Taymor strips and sculpts this version of the Tempest to its soft core but delivers the more important scenes from the play by William Shakespeare. This is not an insult or a too diluted version, just a more slender shape, a young woman’s shape if you will. Ms Taymor is known for her visuals and in “The Tempest” she is up for the challenge. Prospera’s grotto is spare but eye appealing, furnished with burlap, a wizards laboratory and fractured dory used as a bed. Shakespeare was not much for production but was big on words and characters, as is this production. Taymor delivers a fast paced enactment and enchantment by some talented actors who deliver valid if not dull performances. David Strathairn is reunited with Ms. Mirren from their days of starring in Strindberg‘s “Dance of Death” with Sir Ian McKellen on Broadway. Here Mr. Strathairn, as the King, is out of his league with Shakespeare’s words as he was with Strindberg’s in “Dance of Death” but he remains somewhat credible just the same. One of my favorite actors in American film, Chris Cooper as the evil Antonio, too is out of his depths and drags this work down unnecessarily delivering a mostly dead wood character. Russell Brand, comedian/singer/actor works well with the material as Trinculo working well with Alfred Molina who has the role Stephano. Molina works very hard here to keep up with the character and it shows. The love birds, Prospera’s daughter Miranda played by Felicity Jones along with the King’s son Prince Ferdinand played by Reeve Carney are smooth and carry on with ease. Ariel, played by Ben Wishaw holds up well and with all the CGI that goes along with the character, he is the most fun. One item that this version misses is the idea of one woman, Miranda a young woman who only knows her father, is involved in seeing only a mans world and how she could possible fit in it should she ever leave the Island the only home she has ever known. Having Helen Mirren as Prospero distorts the view of some of the language and story line.This is a decent production for easily distracted American film goers to go see. The language is utterly Shakespearian and the production is simply modern and fantastically realized even if a little light.

mravenwud 2012-05-10 20:49:21

Not Wild About the Soundtrack - Directing is Great

I freely admit that I did not sit through the whole thing. I was beingdriven mad by "comfortable" stadium chairs that felt like the 9th hourin coach on a non-stop to Cairo after the Trinculo scene. BTW, not aRuss Brand fan (who plays Trinculo), so I shaved a star for that bit ofweak casting, add it back in if you are at all charmed by him. Since healways plays himself, I had no use for his hammy interpretation. Greatto see Chris Cooper thrown in; lovely surprise. The no-kidding castcarries pretty much all the weight. However, the most important thingis the interpretation of the verse and THAT is very good and easy tofollow. Again - the credit goes to the director for providing theunified feel for the actors to shoot for.Looks like they put a LOT ofgreens work into dressing some hillsides and landscapes. I had notrouble hearing the dialog,as another reviewer mentioned but personallyfound the soundtrack somehow not in the right vibe for me. Thedidgeridoo particularly seemed the wrong effect to me. A very goodinterpretation of Shakespeare's story and a very smart idea to turnProspero into Prospera. More interesting story.

Sophia_and_Lee 2012-05-06 10:27:22

Antiquated, but still sneakily entertaining

The thing with Shakespeare, however offensive I now find the content ofhis work, is that somehow the noise and movement becomes a beautifuland satisfying tune by the end. The content of cultural norms has notstood the test of time and the unrealistic happy endings surpass thesympathy of a Greek myth and enter sugary foolishness. The awfularrangements of ideas in this work overpower the record of humanemotion and drown the responses that have stayed true.The acting in this version of The Tempest varied from bad to excellent.Sometimes the dialogue was too fast and burbled to understand,sometimes soundtrack drowned out important moments. I have no idea whatanyone in the first ten minutes of the film said. Too much backgroundnoise in the style of an action movie was pasted over the top of a playthat initially relied on live acting ability and well placed words tosupply the effects.Generally speaking, Shakespeare's antiquated words are completelyunderstandable when they are spoken at the correct speed and when theactor understands what they're saying. That old magic onlyintermittently appeared here.

2012-05-05 18:56:35

Sorry, Not for ME!

I was bored to death for the 1st 45 minutes. Had to cut it off. Sorry, I started watching it with good intentions because I normally like these sort of films, but absolutely not!

2012-05-02 18:01:32

Worth Watching for the Cast

This review is from: The Tempest [Blu-ray] (Blu-ray) Let me say right off: I am a total Bardolator. I teach Shakespeare, I am obsessed with Shakespeare, I have read and seen all the plays, and my love affair with the Bard began with seeing a live performance of The Tempest in 1975. It was pure magic. I also love movies, and I believe that in the 21st century, filmed versions of Shakespeare's plays are probably the best way to reach the widest audience. The sneers and sniffs of snobs aside, I am convinved that if Will were alive today, he'd be writing movie screenplays (or even television), NOT stage plays, which today are aimed at a narrow, elite, theatre-going audience.As a literature professor who has been teaching The Tempest for a decade now, I have always been singularly bemused by the lack of a filmed version that really captures the magical spirit of the play. The old TV Richard Burton show is well-acted but silly, the BBC version has great actors but terrible, flat production values, Prospero's Books is brilliant but incomprehensible to all but those who know the play intimately, Derek Jarman's version is terribly dated and, despite being a good "film," just doesn't work as The Tempest, in my opinion. The other, "scholastic" releases are plagued by poor production and/or undistinguished acting. And I won't even bother with "adaptations" of the plot, such as Forbidden Planet or Cassavettes's Tempest.Until this version, the only truly excellent version of The Tempest was the HBO animated one, but at 25 minutes, not much of Shakespeare's story remained intact.Just last week I had the great pleasure of seeing Julie Taymor's The Tempest in London. It was absolutely amazing. The magic was there! The acting, for the most part, was brilliant. The script contained enough of the actual play's language that the minor tweakings to make it easier for contemporary audiences did not bother me a bit. The visuals were absolutely stunning. The movie was a joy from start to finish. I can't wait to see it again--repeatedly--to savor all the special moments over and again. My only regret is that my students will be unable to see it this year due to the late release date. If you love Shakespeare, and if you enjoy movie adaptations of the plays, DO NOT MISS THIS ONE!

gradyharp 2012-05-02 03:40:58

The Essence of The Tempest

William Shakespeare's THE TEMPEST is probably his last play, written in1610-11, and as such it has some of the more eloquent passages ofsoliloquies of any of his works. In the original version the story isset on a remote island, 'where Prospero, the exiled Duke of Milan,plots to restore his daughter Miranda to her rightful place, usingillusion and skillful manipulation. The eponymous tempest brings to theisland Prospero's usurping brother Antonio and the complicit Alonso,King of Naples. There, his machinations bring about the revelation ofAntonio's low nature, the redemption of Alonso, and the marriage ofMiranda to Alonso's son, Ferdinand.' Enter Julie Taymor and theimaginative play becomes even more so with her deft re-writing anddirection and use of visual effects. In Taymor's versions 'the maincharacter is now a woman named Prospera. Going back to the 16th or 17thcentury, women practicing the magical arts of alchemy were oftenconvicted of witchcraft. In Taymor's version, Prospera is usurped byher brother and sent off with her four-year daughter on a ship. Sheends up on an island; it's a tabula rasa: no society, so the motherfigure becomes a father figure to Miranda. This leads to the powerstruggle and balance between Caliban and Prospera; a struggle not aboutbrawn, but about intellect.' Taymor and Shakespeare together make the important character of Ariel,Prospera's obedient sprite, a thing of magic: Ben Wishaw darts andfloats and flies about apparently in the buff in a most ingeniousfashion, delivering his lines in perfect Shakespearean cadence (his'Full fathom five thy father lies... ' is exquisite). Thetransformation of Prospero to Prospera is magical with Helen Mirrenonce again proving that she is an incomparably fine actress (one greatmoment is her delivery of the lines 'Our revels now are ended. Theseour actors, As I foretold you, were all spirits and are melted intoair, into thin air: And, like the baseless fabric of this vision, Thecloud-capp'd towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, thegreat globe itself, Ye all which it inherit, shall dissolve And, likethis insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a rack behind. We are suchstuff As dreams are made on, and our little life Is rounded with asleep.') THE TEMPEST is an odd assortment of magic, treachery, young love, sillycomedy, and odd goings on, but filled with a cast such as Taymor hasselected it jumps alive with passion and glee. Caliban is DjimonHounsou, Miranda is Felicity Jones, The King of Naples is DavidStrathairn and his son Ferdinand is young Reeve Carney, Prospera'sbrother Antonio is Chris Cooper and his sidekick Sebastian is AlanCumming, and the two actors assigned to the buffoon roles are AlbertMolina and Russell brand. Gonzalo is Tim Conti. This tightened Tempestworks well though one wonders how much of the opening scenes' shipwreck(due to Prospera's calling upon the tempest) adds to the overall story.Yet in Taymor's vision it all comes together beautifully. The sungportions of the play and the musical sore in general are from theintelligent pen of Elliot Goldenthal. Recommended! Grady Harp

winles 2012-04-25 07:13:43

Sell the studio and then release on DVD/Blu Ray only?

Just a small point,I found the following on Wikipedia. "The Tempestpremiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 11, 2010 as thefestival's closing film. When Disney sold Miramax Films to FilmyardHoldings,LLC , they took over distribution through its divisionTouchstone Pictures." add to this that the ONLY Official Website forThe Tempest is for the DVD/Blu Ray then I think that says it all? WhenTouchstone got the movie they obviously decided they didn't like it,anddecided to only release it on DVD/Blu Ray? I cannot find anywhere (herein the UK) that it has been released for more than a few days. Verydisappointing.

2012-04-24 14:31:50

4-Star Entertainment, 5-Star Adaptation

This was Shakespeare's final play, and it appears he broke with traditional play formats to develop underlying themes implied throughout his previous plays. As such, the plot and character development prevalent in earlier plays is minimized in The Tempest. That carries over into this film, making it initially difficult to follow. On the other hand, this film makes it obvious that a major character in The Tempest, the deserted island setting, cannot be captured on stage. This is more a screenplay than a stage play, and now we finally have an appropriate treatment of this essential work. The casting is outstanding. We are presented with multiple characters in short order, but there is no problem telling them apart. The lead character Prospero is played as a female Prospera by Helen Mirren, who comes across as a Queen Lear, showing what could have happened in a sequel if Lear and daughter had been exiled rather than killed. All the other characters bring substantial stage cred to their roles. And then there's Russell Brand, who as in all his projects leaves the viewer wondering, "What the hell was that?" Any Shakespeare afficionado needs to see this. In all his previous plays we have appreciated his insight into the deficiencies, tumultuous condition and redemptive efforts of mankind. But in this play we have Ariel, who has grown up outside human society, on first observing a cross-section of scoundrels, exclaiming, "O wonder. How many goodly creatures are there here. How beautious mankind is. O brave new world that has such people in it." This play is an exposition of, within the magic of our own supressed powers, what we have lost but may rediscover. Now, if Director Taymor would just hook up with Ms. Mirren again and do Queen Lear ...

2012-04-21 22:43:19

WHAT BRAVE NEW WORLD IS THIS?

Admittedly I have trouble with Shakespeare. When I read his works, I have trouble understanding the scene. When I see it in a film, I have trouble understanding the language. I was able to watch this version with the subtitles and thoroughly enjoyed the genius of The Bard. The language is old, but the musical background has been updated. Great performances. I would love to see a series of Shakespeare done this way, although let's keep the genders intact next time. Mirren was fantastic as were the CG effects.2 f-bombs (Hey I had the subtitles on!) no sex, brief Ariel nudity?

dbborroughs 2012-04-21 08:10:59

One of the worst Shakespearean adaptations put on screen

Friends of mine have been amazed at how long I can talk about the shortcomings of this film. Their reaction when I finish my diatribe has beento say " I guess you really don't like it".No, no I don't.What happened to Julie Taymor the master of cinema who did Frida, Titusand Across the Universe? Watching this film I was struck by the feelingthat it was made by someone completely unfamiliar with the medium. Thatisn't the case, since she did the films I just mentioned.I'm not sure exactly what happened, but something did. Some where alongthe way she made a film that seems so technically inept as to notreally be viewable.Having assembled a cast that on paper should have worked she'sproceeded to make a film where everyone seems to be alone on screen.For me it was as if she had cut together performances from differentfilms.Having changed the male lead to a woman she failed to change all of thelanguage and periodically you get lines of dialog that just play wrong.There are frequent mismatched shots as objects move around, bottle topsappear and disappear and characters seem to be taking readings fromdifferent takes or set ups.I shouldn't have been noticing all the mistakes, I should have beensurfing on the plot and the dialog, but Taymor never manages to createany sort of magic. (And any magic is supplied by cheap visual effects.)I don't know. I had such high hopes for the film, but nothing cametogether. In a weird way the film is best summed up by Ben Whishaw'sAriel who is required to play the part naked- however is forced to gothrough the most ludicrous gyrations to cover up his privates (Theaudience I saw this with was roaring with each uncomfortable twist).2 out of 10 for the performances that work on their own terms- one justwishes that they had been brought together to actually resemble a film.