The Age of Commercialism

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Twelfth Night or What You Will (1996): Dir: Trevor Nunn / Cast: Imogen Stubbs, Helena Bonham Carter, Ben Kingsley, Nigel Hawthorne, Tobey Stephens: Art house film with stunning photography and tremendous art direction. Based upon William Shakespeare's comedy about mistaken identities when a shipwreck separates a brother and sister. When ashore they discover the Duke's court. Imogen Stubbs dons a fake moustache and a uniform to resemble a male. When her brother ventures for the court Stubbs has difficulty maintaining her dignity especially when Helena Bonham Carter mistakes her for the man she loves. Hilarious outcome voices how foolish we can appear through circumstance. Director Trevor Nunn has fun with the humour while Stubbs is funny but hardly passes as a male. Carter is hilarious in a lustful supporting role. Ben Kingsley is charming as a travelling musician who is able to make sense of it all through observation. Nigel Hawthorne is hilarious particularly when he realizes that he is the victim of a bad prank. Tobey Stephens heads one of the courts that Stubbs plays off as naïve until the truth unravels and humiliation sets in. Whether tragedy or comedy Shakespeare provoke us with both but here the adaptation is one of the best looking and funniest of the comedies. Here is a worthwhile Shakespearean comedy about the fool in us all. Score: 9 / 10

I've always loved this play. The theme of identical twins is delightful and there are so many laughs. I remembered it well from my schooldays when it was obviously a favourite then too. The earlier performances I've seen never, though, came up to the level of this one. I saw a version starring a very short Viola with an appallingly inappropriate halo of fluffy fair hair who looked totally ridiculous as a man and surely must have seemed to Orsino like a 12 year old page. One would hope Orsino wouldn't be falling for a child page!! And could you imagine this short actress in pageboy clothes and looking no more than a child being courted by the adult Olivia? Ridiculous... So it all made a nonsense of this story and when I tried to watch it again after seeing this version, I could only glance at a few scenes (with a very wet and soulful and completely pathetic Orsino mooning about) in horror and then return it hurriedly to the library.So this version has completely spoiled me for anything twee. I couldn't now accept a pretty diminutive Viola. She must be a sensible height to pass for a young man. Perhaps Viola has previously been played as a page rather than a young man being trained in warfare as in this movie but I think the best reading is that Viola is a strongwilled, adventurous young woman who wouldn't want the kind of conventional life Olivia has and with her brother lost seizes the opportunity to try out living a man's life with all the privileges that would bring in Shakespeare's time. So Imogen Stubbs with her beautiful but also strong features and height and perfect voice is ideal for this part.In the same way, Toby Stephens elevates Orsino from the dismal mooning character too often portrayed. Orsino can't be a wet dreamer. He's the leader of his country in war. He's highly respected and an upright person, made clear in the dialogue. His household is only of men and the indication in this play is that he runs a military academy which is surely exactly what we'd expect of a strong leader engaged in a war with a neighbouring state. Stephens is also extremely handsome, which adds plenty of spice to his character! The brother Sebastian, also excellently played and very charming, is amazingly like his twin in this production which is excellent. Of course we viewers can suspend belief when two actors are this much alike. Hard to imagine that in some productions both parts are played by one actress - this seems to me quite ridiculous nowadays although perfectly feasible in Shakespeare's time since women could not act on stage and the same boy could play both parts. Not allowing the twins to come face to face on stage would be completely bizarre. But I think that today this cannot work. We can't accept Viola played by a man. We can't accept Sebastian played by a girl. So better to suspend belief just a little! Sebastian's admirer Antonio is another splendid part excellently portrayed by Nicholas Farrell. Same applies to all the other actors. Sir Toby is portrayed with much wit but also some undertones of seriousness as he occasionally expresses his frustration at being a poor relation dependent on his niece's charity. Maria is not wasted as a silly bumpkin maid but given dignity and a little pathos. Malvolio becomes as I think he should a rather tragic figure, perfectly portrayed by Nigel Hawthorne especially in that "famous scene"! Sir Andrew is really sweet in his silly way. Helena Bonham Carter makes Olivia delightful and youthful, so suitable to fall for "Cesario. "Ben Kingsley rounds it off with a lovely sharp portrayal of Feste and lovely singing.

This film is absolutely awesome, I recommend everyone see it! The plot is fascinating and fast paced, it really keeps you guessing what's going to happen next. It's about two very similar twins, Viola and Sebsatian, who are caught in a ship wreck and each believe the other dead. Viola, for protection, dresses up as a boy and goes to work for a powerful Duke (a very dashing Toby Stephens). When the Duke sends his new "male" servant to woo his love, Lady Olivia (the glamorous Helena Bonham Carter), all sorts of chaos reigns, especially when Viola's now identically looking twin brother arrives!!The actors give it their all and make the complicated Shakespearian language much easier to follow. The scenery is the breathtakingly beautiful Cornish coast and the overall feel of the play is one that has been made with great care, yet never tires or becomes bogged down with the complicated language. I had no idea of the story before watching, but found this no obstacle, unlike many other Shakespeare film adaptions. I've never been much of a Shakespeare fan and have only read it when made to in school! After watching this film, however, I have been reading the play itself and have really enjoyed studying the original Shakespeare! There are so many different ideas and themes in the original play, all of which are brought effortlessly to life in the screen! The film also treads well the fine line the play expresses between tragedy and comedy.A brilliant treat of a film that is genuinely funny, heart warming and addicting! One of my all time favourite films I can't seem to stop watching!!!

I was introduced to this delight in the 10th grade during World History as an implementation of my teacher's favorite instructing method- stick in a movie and assign an outline. Dark room, people whispering or making out in the corner, dull movie: this class was normally known as Nap Time, but not that day. In went the tape and out came a story full of vivacity, charm, hilarity and heart.The story is of a girl, Viola, who loses her brother and disguises herself as him to find work. She falls in love with the Duke, who has sent her to woo a countess by the name of Olivia, who has lost her brother as well. Of course, Olivia falls in love with Viola, thinking she is a young man. Viola now must reject one love because she is a woman and be rejected by another love that believes she is a man. What to do? Throw more people into the mix! Olivia, being a countess and therefore rich as anything, has no lack of other admirers from the insanely stupid Sir Andrew Aguecheeck that her uncle encourages for sport to her pious steward, Malvolio. Each person vies for her attentions while she goes insane over the one "man" she cannot have. Enter Sebastian, Viola's twin brother who *gasp* didn't die after all. Much confusion and laughter later, Viola is finally able to shed her "masculine usurped attire" and profess her love for the now-frazzled Duke. Don't worry about Olivia, she gets to keep a copy, the ever-willing Sebastian.Watching this movie the first time, I could hardly believe it was written 400 years ago. The story relates flawlessly to a modern audience. Watching it for the hundredth time after I bought it, I am still captivated by the genius adaption. The script is so funny and intertwines plot lines seamlessly. The actors actually know what they are trying to say, which is half of conveying the meaning of the "difficult" language. Even if I did not understand every word, I would get the meaning with help from the incredible acting.Imogene Stubbs is beautiful as Viola- she really makes a very cute, albeit effeminate "boy." I felt the most for her, especially when she tells the Duke the story of her love for him under the guise of a "sister." Toby Stephens as the Duke was quite handsome, and made the character more likable. If it had been another person, I would have wondered what in the world Viola saw in the whiny, fanciful man, but he was quite suave and charming.Olivia-Bonham-Carter shone as the almost bi-polar Olivia. She snapped from the pit of despair to the heights of love within a scene, but invited you to laugh with her in giddiness rather than snort in disbelief.Ben Kingsly was perfection as Feste, probably the best performance of the movie. He was a fool, but he knew it. He gave a performance of simple farce with a current of keen insight underneath.The others, Mel Smith, Imelda Staunton, Nigel Hawthorne, Richard Grant, Steven Mackintosh and Nicholas Farrell all provided excellent comedic support, tinged with the faintest hint of melancholy that brought just the right mix.Whether you're a fan of Shakespeare or not, Twelfth Night is without a doubt an amazing experience. It brings laughter, excitement and maybe even a misty eye with each viewing. Go rent it if you haven't seen it and if you have, pull it out and treat yourself tonight. I know I will.