jlacerra

I must be really missing something. I watched this movie and saw a meandering voyeuristic doting on what appear to be spoiled pseudo-intelligent rich brats, their mentally comatose father, his grand-daughter, and their hired keeper. The players are all virtually perfect in their roles, but are wasted in this looney home movie with no point. The boyfriend Chris at first appears fairly normal, but later he seems caught up in their uninhibited self-indulgence. I don't even want to think about the helicopter!

The only really sympathetic character in the picture is the patriarch of this strange brood, ably played by Harry Dean Stanton. His attempt to passively transfer from the asylum into a somewhat normal life is thwarted by the harridan he tries to partner up with. We see and applaud his withdrawal from the mayhem.

Look for a bit role filled by a young Tim Robbins.

I know little of Shakespeare, other than to expect masterful use of the English language. Unfortunately, the actors in this movie either whisper their beautiful lines so one cannot hear them, or rattle them off in snarling unintelligible shouts. I found Branagh's rally speeches to have the opposite of their intended effect; they made me wonder why anyone would follow this spoiled swaggering slip of a royal to their death. Jacobi is wasted as the Chorus, and seems in a hurry to get it over with. And the homely French women (supposed to be pretty?) learning English from her idiot maid made me want to just slap her!

One can excuse the incessant waiving of the English flag, and even the derogatory depiction of everyone French (except the herald). That, apparently, is the play. One can also excuse the Hollywoodization of the battle scene (apparently French horses can not walk without falling over) in which everything English is effective and everything French is wicked and moronic. But one cannot forgive the unmistakable aroma of ham that pervades this entire enterprise.

Shut it off about a half hour before the end; couldn't take any more!