Spidersecu Don't Believe the Hype

Senteur As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

Tineke M I've read comments that you shouldn't watch this film if you're looking for stirring Shakespearian dialogue. This is true, unfortunately, because all the stirring dialogue, this wonderful play contains, has been cut, and replaced with songs. I've read this play, and recently was lucky enough to see it performed, at it remains one of my favourite Shakespearian Comedies, but this movie seems to take all that I like about it away. The Princess, though no doubt doing what she was directed to do, had no regal bearing, and all the girls seemed to lose the cleverness of their characters - also affected by unwise cuts, which not only took away the female characters already sparse dialogue, but took comments out of context - it was a little unnerving to hear the Princess proclaim; "We are wise girls to mock our lovers so!", when mocking had not taken place at all. The news reels throughout the film also disrupted the flow, and took away many excellent scenes, as they showed the information in the scenes after them, and were in modern phrasing. In conclusion, an excellent play, ruined by an odd concept, and unwise cuts. Kenneth, I usually love what you do. What were you thinking?

Hisham Amer Kenneth Branagh's "Love's Labour's Lost" does exactly what it was intended to do: Turn Shakespeare's play into a thirties American Musical. The result is just that. No more, no less. It is as bad as any of those miserable American musical from the late thirties-late fifties. The fact that it's Shakespeare does not arrange anything: Branagh is only really interested in the thirties aspect. Like any of those musicals, it is corny, completely artificial, has no depth. But it also funny, charming, and mostly entertaining. There are occasional times where you will laugh like a madman (one must admit that it's much better than "As You Like It"): Branagh's scream as the King of Navarre pushes the ramp Branagh is on, every second with Timothy Spall, who is hilarious ("Boy, what sign is it when a worthy man grows mel-an-choly- Hilarious, and the whole "I Get A Kick Out Of You" musical number), Miss Marple's monologue and version of "The Way You Look Tonight" , and other things. Overall, this film is nothing more- nor less- than an American Musical, worth seeing just to see how well Branagh pulled off the idea of making Shakespeare's play be exactly like a musical.

madbeast Kenneth Branagh attempts to turn William Shakspeare's obscure, rarely-produced comedy into a 1930s-era musical, with the result being both bad Shakespeare and bad musical comedy as the actors are rarely adept at one or the other of the two styles and in some cases flounder badly in both. Particularly painful is Nathan Lane, who seems to be under the impression that he is absolutely hysterical as Costard but is badly mistaken, and Alicia Silverstone who handles the Shakespearean language with all the authority of a teenaged Valley Girl who is reading the script aloud in her middle school English class.The musical numbers are staged with the expertise of a high school production of "Dames at Sea," leaving the cast looking awkward and amateurish while singing and dancing, with the lone exception being Adrian Lester who proves himself a splendid song and dance man. The only other saving grace of the film are Natascha McElhone and Emily Mortimer's contribution as eye candy, but they have given far better performances than in this film and you'd be wise to check out some of the other titles in their filmographies and gives this witless mess a pass.

bardlover I love Shakespeare. I really do. I also am also a huge fan of Kenneth Branagh. His Henry V, Hamlet, Much Ado About You, As You Like It, and Twelfth Night are all excellent. I feel the problem here is that he tried far too hard to make Shakespeare marketable. I love musicals, especially old ones, as well, but I find something lacking in the combination. And, as much as I adore Kenneth, he cannot dance. This is not Shakespeare's best comedy in the first place, but even Branagh's ambition couldn't save this disaster. The ending is happier than the play's cliffhanger-like promises, which I like. That is about all I like.