Masterful Movie

Brilliant and touching

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

I was so delighted that I watched this movie many times. How do you introduce many to a masterpiece of a genius? Pacino searches for him in England's history, at the streets, at the stages and rehearsals, with British actors and scholars, in a beggar that taught us about feelings, feelings in words, not only in gestures, actions, while showing the noble drama in its political subtleties. It shows the beauty not only of a language and story, but a great actor's view of a great play. Surely one of the best movies I have ever seen about a play of Shakespeare. A film that anybody who likes Shakespeare and poetry will watch many times in order to fully understand its beauty

From my education, Shakespeare isn't for common people and I praise Al to invest his stature to bring Shakespeare to us. Thus, this movie is really exciting because there are really two story lines nicely melted together: the Shakespeare's play and the passion of Al.For those like me who rates Al as their best actor, this is a must-see. The character of Richard is black as coal and Al has always been never better with those perfidious and nasty guys. On the opposite, in the real life, Al is a warm-full, sweet person and with his documentary, he opens this door for us and offers to take a peek. In addition, it's great to see Al and his pals talking about the play, looking for great exteriors and visiting the original place of Shakespeare. You see the mystery of creation in art and this special birth is always a memorable event.Actually, despite being hard of hearing (and fearing to become deaf), I just like Al's voice: it's amazing how much feelings he can show with it. That's why i'm just laughing when actors like Pitt are depicted as great because they are dwarfs compared to Al.In conclusion, beyond being "the" actor, Al reveals himself as an inspired director and he should direct more!

This is Al Pacino's first movie in which he both directed and acted. We see here that Pacino is not only an actor who takes part mostly in movies about gangsters, but within his brain he carries a perfect director. Looking for Richard is definitely what he really wanted to make; unlike the movies he is well-known to act in, it is an unusual combination of both a documentary and a drama based on a classic Shakespeare work. And Pacino made a wonderful choice in working this way. There are many versions of this Richard III story, both taking place in medieval Britain - as was the original script was - and in different places and times, like in the 19th century for a change. If he only made a drama or only a documentary, it would be a very usual and even boring thing, as repetitions of the same thing, even if it is pleasant, becomes annoying with time. This is definitely the best movie ever made, but was not a hit, because it can be understood only by a minority of people - I'll be a bit arrogant here, but I think I am right - above a certain IQ and cultural level.

Al Pacino is one of the most dynamic and charismatic film stars ever; yet he has always been hampered by his inability to pick good projects other than his hits for Coppla and Lumet. This film gives some clue as to why: he appears to be as stupid as a block of stone. A big screen version of Henry "Fonize" Winkler's Shakespeare T.V. show, "Looking For Richard" is a harebrained idea run into the ground. "Richard The III" is one of the easiest to follow of all the Bard's works, that the dark prince is the bad guy stabbing everybody in the back is about all you need to know. Yet Pacino begins with the idea that the play is impossible to bring to modern audiences, it's just too complicated. His solution? Only do the juiciest bits with his Hollywood pals. Unintentional hilarity ensues. Beyond that, Pacino is a ceaseless bore, surrounded by sycophants who encourage him to make a behind of himself. In one scene, Pacino seems to be suggesting to young people that Shakespeare is cool because you get to seduce Wynona Ryder. In another, he keeps interrupting a bored John Gielgud. It's never mentioned that Pacino's on stage Richard III was an infamous production laughed off Broadway in about a week. Maybe it wasn't Al's fault. But the critics were a lot kinder to this silly film than they were to Pacino when he really took a crack at the Bard.