Sunday, 8 April 2012

A Midsummer Night's Dream 1999


This is a fairly decent take on what is my favourite Shakespeare play. However it does have a few issues.

The cast is very strong, especially Kevin Kline as Bottom, Calista Flockheart as Helena and Stanley Tucci as Puck, all of the cast delivering the lines wonderfully and understandably, managing to capture both the comedy and mystical elements of the script.


Kevin Kline's Bottom is a very interesting take on the character, as it has the usual comedy associated with the role but also has quite a few more quiet and understated moments that make him something of a sad and sympathetic character, I feel that he was truly the highlight of the film.

My main problem with the film is how much they cut to make the 2 hour length, with many of Puck's lines gone, which is a strong shame as they are some of the very best lines in the play and Stanley Tucci would have been quite wonderful with them.


To sum up I'd say this version is worth watching, but there are probably other versions out there that might be better adaptations.

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