Movie Review: Hamlet

Story: To thine own self be true... and so I went to yet the third (of late) interpretation of Shakespeare's play. This time adapted, pared down and directed by experimental film maker Michael Almeryeda (Another Girl, Another Planet, Nadja, Trance). And, lo and behold, I was thoroughly entertained. Filmed entirely in contemporary NYC, Denmark is now a corporation. There is still plenty of murder, greed and betrayal along with contemporary accouterments such as wiretapping and video surveillance. It is fast paced, appropriately dark, stark and edgy (if not a bit jiggly) and there are some humorous moments, such as Eartha Kitt's voice telling us to buckle up in a taxi and a Blockbuster video store as a background for the often paraphrased to be or not to be speech. This is good movie making on a low budget and efforts like this should be supported. Get thee to the silver screen!

Acting: I am not a big Ethan Hawke fan but he is more than an adequate Hamlet (except when he wears a goofy knitted hat with ear flaps). The brooding, sullen, morose and paranoid Prince of Denmark is what Hawke does best. Sam Shepard (he and Hawke played the same father/son relationship in the disappointing but beautiful Snow Falling On Cedars)is very powerful as the Ghost King. Liev Schreiber (who does much Shakespeare) is obviously classically trained and blows everyone else off the screen when he speaks as Laertes. Julia Stiles is a bit young, but cries and screams well as Ophelia. (I have always loved the Get thee to a nunnery, bit.) Kyle MacLachlan, as Claudius and Diane Venora, as Gertrude are both wonderful and Bill Murray as the contemporary Polonius is just perfect.

Visual Art: Very dark but there were lots of posters. The Guggenheim Museum (no art is actually shown) is used as a location site in an important scene and is very visually effective.

Soundtrack: Effective

Theater Audience: Five normal people (including me) and one mumbler in the back.

Quirky Meter: 3

Oscar Worthy: Probably not.

Length: 110 minutes

LOBO HOWLS: 7.5