Review: Coriolanus

Non Spoiler Review:

I'm a big fan of Shakespeare on film, so the initial trailer for Coriolanus made me eager for an exciting interpretation of this play, starring the likes of Gerard Butler (300), Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter), the always awesome Vanessa Redgrave, and Jessica Chastain (Tree of Life).

In this modern take on the story, Rome is in turmoil over food riots, and its greatest hero, Gaius Martius (Fiennes), has no sympathy for the masses, as he's engaged in conflict with the rebel Volscians, under the command of his nemesis Tullius Aufidius (Butler). Once achieving victory, Martius is named Coriolanus, and with the help of his powerful mother Volumnia (Redgrave) is named consul. But a conspiracy in the Senate by his enemies forces him into exile and into a new alliance with his hated enemy to exact revenge on the city that spurned him.

Like recent interpretations of Titus Andonicus and Romeo and Juliet, Coriolanus takes place in a reimagined modern Rome, effectively using news broadcasts and war footage to convey this city beset by invaders at its borders. I had never read this play so went into it with no preconceptions aside from the trailer.

The performances are all quite good, with extra compliments going to Fiennes, Butler and Redgrave who really pull off some intense dialogue and scenes together. Additional performances by Brian Cox (X-Men 2) and other secondary characters are equally notable. Really, the only one who suffered from lack of anything interesting to do is Julia Chastain as Coriolanus' wife, Virgilia. But that's no fault of hers. The play just doesn't really offer a meaty role for her.

And so to my only criticism of the film, which lies in the culmination of the plot. This is a really well made and interesting movie up until the very end. Like the more recent Tempest by Julie Taymor, it suffers from a resolution that lacks the impact necessary for a more epic cinema experience, and rather more suited to live theatre. Even having not read the play, I saw this rather no-brainer of a climax coming, but was still surprised when the credits abruptly rolled and I was asking myself if that's all we get after such a great build up.

That's not to say it's horrible by any means. Just disappointing, with an ending that feels more of a whimper than a bang, given most of the film unfolds a compelling political plot. Definitely watch this for the performances and style. Just don't expect to be blown away at its conclusion in a manner that my favorites, Titus and Romeo and Juliet, deliver.

Review: The Tempest

Non Spoiler Review:

My first introduction to Julie Taymor was her stunning Titus, one of my favorite movies of all time. Ever since I've been comparing her other works to that and they've come up short—Across the Universe was a hodge-podge of randomly great songs with nothing to tie it together. So I was looking forward to a return to Shakespeare, and the trailer appeared promising. But the film never seemed to get any play anywhere, and I've only since managed to track it down.

The Tempest, of course, deals with the sorcerer Prospero, who is banished to an island after having his dukedom usurped by his brother. Raising his daughter Miranda along with the beast Caliban and the captive spirit Ariel, Prospero creates an elaborate plan to bring together the malefactors who wronged him, while his daughter falls in love with the duke's son.

In this case, Helen Mirren is cast as female protagonist, Prospera, and delivers her usual high calibre performance. As does Felicity Jones as Miranda. The rest of the cast is all capable and no one struggles with the material. Russell Brand and Alfred Molina appear as the comedic duo Trinculo and Stephano, accompanied by Djimon Hounsou as Caliban. But there are no memorable performances like that of Jessica Lange and Anthony Hopkins in Titus. 

Visually the island is a mish-mash of beautiful and barren locales, and Prospera's sorcery is given life with an assortment of CGI spectacle that tends to stand out (in a bad way) when it appears. The manifestations of the spirit Ariel are kind of okay, but again, nothing truly unique.

It all fell flat for me, and I'm not sure if it's simply because the play itself does have its slower bits—long talks about taking over Milan, and stretches of Caliban interacting with Trinculo and Stephano. I wanted something a bit more engaging, and really only found that when Mirren was on the screen. I also wondered by Taymor wouldn't continue her gender-bending route and go with a male version of Miranda? Why go only half way, except to be able to cast Mirren, it seems.

I'll damn The Tempest with faint praise by calling it a nice movie, which is really all I can say about it. It didn't raise any emotions in me one way or the other, or the need to replay and listen to some well-delivered scenes, despite being a big fan of Helen Mirren. So I'm disappointed that this wasn't the stellar rendition of The Tempest I'd hoped for from viewing the trailer.

If you're a fan of Shakespeare (or Taymor), then check it out to tick it off your list. But so far nothing she's done has compared to Titus in my books. Taymor works well with violent material, so she should tackle MacBeth, which really hasn't been given a fair rendition since Polanski's version.