Much Ado About Nothing (1993) directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh
January 22, 2010 by John Murphy
Filed under Bard Vids, Bardfilm, Brian Blessed, Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton, Kenneth Branagh, Motley Bard, Much Ado About Nothing, Much Ado film reviews, Much Ado vidclips, Richard Briers, Richard Clifford
© 2004 John Murphy
Much Ado About Nothing was a minor sensation upon its release in 1993. By that time, Kenneth Branagh had come to be regarded as a cinematic Wunderkind, gene-splicing Orson Welles and Laurence Olivier. Flush from the success of heavy-hitters like Henry V and Dead Again, the tireless auteur released this sunny show, [...]
Vidclips from Kenneth Branagh's Love's Labour's Lost
January 21, 2010 by Debra Murphy
Filed under Adrian Lester, Bard Vids, Bardfilm, Comedies, Kenneth Branagh, Love's Labour's Lost, Love's Labour's Lost vidclips, Richard Briers, Richard Clifford, Timothy Spall
First, here’s the trailer to Branagh’s LLL:
“When love speeks…” Branagh tap- and word-dances to the rhythm of iambic pentameter:
Love's Labour's Lost (2000) directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh
January 21, 2010 by Debra Murphy
Filed under Adrian Lester, Bardfilm, Comedies, Kenneth Branagh, Love's Labour's Lost, Love's Labour's Lost film reviews, Love's Labour's Lost stage reviews, Richard Briers, Timothy Spall
© 2006 John Murphy
I Get a Kick Out of You
Love’s Labour’s Lost is an entertaining mash-up of a 1930’s era musical with one of Shakespeare’s slighter comedies. The combination is less seamless than one might have wished, but Kenneth Branagh and his photogenic cast coast on creamy charm. This flighty flick has all the nutritional [...]
Vidclips from Kenneth Branagh's 1996 Hamlet
January 20, 2010 by Debra Murphy
Filed under Bard Vids, Bardfilm, Brian Blessed, Derek Jacobi, Hamlet vidclips, John Gielgud, Judi Dench, Kate Winslet, Kenneth Branagh, Michael Maloney, Nicholas Farrell, Richard Briers, Timothy Spall
The following are videoclips from Kenneth Branagh’s 1996 Hamlet
(Click here for our review of this film.)
“To be, or not to be…” (Act III, scene 1)
“How all occasions…” (Act IV, scene 4)
Sleuth on DVD!
March 14, 2008 by John Murphy
Filed under It Ain't Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh
Kenneth Branagh’s remake (complete overhaul, more like) of the 1974 classic Sleuth was released on Tuesday. It stars Michael Caine and Jude Law as competitors for the love of a woman who are trying to one-up each other in a dangerous battle of wits. The script is by Harold Pinter, who writes about masculine vanity [...]
As You Like It (2007) directed by Kenneth Branagh
January 10, 2008 by John Murphy
Filed under AYLI film reviews, AYLI vidclips, Adrian Lester, Alfred Molina, As You Like It, Bard Vids, Bardfilm, Brian Blessed, Comedies, David Oyelowo, Directors, Kenneth Branagh, Kenneth Branagh, Kevin Kline, Romola Garai
Starring Bryce Dallas Howard, David Oyelowo, Kevin Kline, Alfred Molina, Adrian Lester
“Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon ’em.”
The varied career of Kenneth Branagh is a combination of the latter two qualities, I think. He achieved greatness early, taking on the title role of Henry V in a Royal [...]
Sleuth (2007)
November 23, 2007 by John Murphy
Filed under Directors, It Ain't Shakespeare, Kenneth Branagh, Laurence Olivier
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
starring Michael Caine and Jude Law
War of Wits
Sleuth kicks something vicious. Those familiar with the deliciously over-the-top 1972 version, which pitted legendary Laurence Olivier against a lean-and-hungry Michael Caine, may rightly wonder, why bother? They already got this one right. The play by Anthony Shaffer was a clever bit of gamesmanship—a sort [...]
