Twelfth Night, or What You Will

How nice are you people? This was an awful version of the play. There was absolutely no connection between any of the in love pairs, i.e. Olivia and Viola. Olivia had no underlining character whatsoever, she just acted snooty the whole time. It would have been OK if she would have shown any other emotions, but no. The Sebastian-Antonio pair was weak, especially with Antonio. Sevastian and Viola didn't even look alike. Gosh, the Christmas tree had electric lights on it! The music, the characters, and the whole feelings of the play were drab and dull, and even though Maria was exceptionally good, her performance didn't help enough to save this drowning play. Two thumbs down, sorry!

This is my favorite filmed version of Twelfth Night -On DVD at last! Branagh's production captures both the humor and the melancholy of the play, with excellent performances all around and a stand-out performance by the late, great, Richard Briers as Malvolio. Patrick Doyle (along with an assist from Paul McCartney) provides an atmospheric score to accompany the shifting moods, with several songs sung by Feste the Fool (Anton Lesser in one of his best performances). The Dickensian setting compliments the story well, while purists will rejoice that the text of the play is complete. The DVD also features an informative, behind-the-scenes interview with Kenneth Branagh talking about the stage production and the play itself. Buy a copy for yourself, and a few more as gifts for friends -This is a real treat!

I had to read Twelfth Night in college, so I rented this from the university library and watched it while reading along with the actual play on my lap. It is dead on accurate (no cuts) and the play is very funny indeed. This is my favorite Shakespeare play, and I still remember this production of it 10 years later. Kenneth Branagh made Shakespeare look fun, and I actually laughed out loud at some points. I didn't really like Shakespeare before reading/seeing this production. (Romeo and Juliet and Julius Caesar are the wrong plays to subject to high school kids.) Since watching Twelfth Night, I have a new appreciation for the Bard and his other works. Kenneth Branagh did an excellent job with this one.

I've been a Shakespeare fan since I can remember, and this is one of the Bard's all time best. Anton Lesser is stunning as Feste (and he sings throughout, a wonderful tenor!) Well directed by Ken Branagh, though when I first put the tape in, I was expecting him to be onscreen, too. (Pout, pout...) Incredible performances by everyone involved, especially liked Caroline Langrishe (Olivia); perfectly cast, as well as Frances Barber (Viola). Great onscreen chemistry. So far I haven't found it for sale, only available to rent through the local library.

My senior English class read the play and watched the film simultaneously and I have to say that (although at first I was put off by the harsh music, and the set and costumes that reminded me too much of Mary Martin's Peter Pan) I really got into it. I thought all the acting was great, especially Maria, Toby, Andrew, Viola and Malvolio, but Anton Lesser as the clown, Feste, stole the show. He was definitely the most memorable character. My only complaint, really, is that sometimes the actors spoke the lines a little too fast. I highly suggest this to anyone that likes theater or Shakespeare.

****/*****