TV Movies: As You Like It

As You Like It
Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Originally aired August 21, 2007


This all seems like a foreign language to me, perhaps moreso because this is not a work of Shakespeare that I am familiar with. Kenneth Branagh, proven Shakespeare enthusiast and an Oscar nominee for his direction of "Henry V", directed this adaptation and I suppose he is probably being faithful enough. To me it just seems proposterous that two people in love could not just be immediately merry but instead the woman should disguise herself as a man to toy with her would-be lover and drag on the film for an hour and twenty minutes. It took me long enough to figure out what was going on and to me that just seems tedious. But alas, it is Shakespeare. As a film presentation, there are a lot of bright colors and lengthy speeches but all in all it is just a bunch of people traipsing throguh the woods and I do not think that makes for a truly memorable experience. The performances are fine, and the cast is diverse and interesting. Bryce Dallas Howard and Alfred Molina in particular do a great job, while Kevin Kline and Brian Blessed are not very much worth mentioning. All in all, there is a lot of talking, and even some singing, and it is just not for me.

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