A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Tags

1990's, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Anna Friel, Bernard Hill, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, Comedy, David Strathairn, Dominic West, Fantasy, Kevin Kline, Michael Hoffman, Michelle Pfeiffer, Romance, Rupert Everett, Sam Rockwell, Sophie Marceau, Stanley Tucci, William Shakespeare

Film Title

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Director

Michael Hoffman

Starring

• Kevin Kline as Nick Bottom
• Michelle Pfeiffer as Titania
• Rupert Everett as Oberon
• Calista Flockhart as Helena
• Anna Friel as Hermia
• Dominic West as Lysander
• Christian Bale as Demetrius
• Stanley Tucci as Puck
• David Strathairn as Theseus
• Sophie Marceau as Hippolyta
• Bernard Hill as Egeus
• Sam Rockwell as Francis Flute

A well cast and amusing adaptation of the classic Shakespeare comedy, A Midsummer Night’s Dream gets points for direction, writing and acting. Yes it isn’t the best Shakespeare adaptation there is and there are a few flaws, but by and large it’s a success of love’s complications, romantic entanglements and mischievous magic.

The setting is Italy near the beginning of the twentieth century( in the play the setting is Greece). The Duke Theseus is preparing for his upcoming marriage to Hippolyta. He is a respected man and is asked near the beginning to help Egeus with his problem. The problem in question is his daughter Hermia, who he has betrothed to Demetrius. Hermia is actually enamored with Lysander, but their love is forbidden. With Hermia being forced to marry Demetrius, the young lady and her lover Lysander secretly plan to elope. Meanwhile, Hermia’s friend Helena pines for the moody Demetrius, but to no avail as he loves Hermia. The downtrodden Helena seizes the opportunity to make an impression on Demetrius by informing him of Hermia and Lysander’s plans to run away one night through the nearby forest. Demetrius follows the two star-crossed lovers deep into the forest, with the desperate Helena behind him. Yet what none of the four realise is that the forest is inhabited by fairies, and most importantly the fairy King Oberon and his wife Queen Titania. The couple is going through trouble and their differences begin to hold sway on the fates of the four young lovers in the forest. The scheming Oberon, to get back at Titania, devises an amusing plan and enlists the help of loyal but mischief-loving sprite Puck to help. By obtaining a magical flower and applying the nectar of it to the eyelids of Titania, when she awakens she will fall in love with the first person she sees. Into this game unintentionally comes the talkative actor Nick Bottom and his company, who are rehearsing a play to perform at the upcoming wedding. Using the flower on Titania and then turning the unsuspecting Bottom into a donkey, a funny beginning of events flourishes as Titania becomes smitten with the transformed Bottom, much to the actor’s surprise and delight. Oberon also asks Puck to help out Helena so that Demetrius falls in love with her. But naughty Puck accidentally mistakes Lysander for Demetrius and soon enough chaos ensues as the romances interlink and much squabbling occurs thanks to Puck’s devilish intervention.

Michael Hoffman successfully translates the enjoyable and funny qualities of the play to the screen with both imagination and inventiveness. He updates the setting to pre-twentieth century and it actually works very well, though I’m sure purists may quibble and take issue with it. The update allows for some beautiful scenery and gorgeous cinematography that is marvellous. A few parts of his direction are flawed, such as letting some scenes in the middle to lumber on longer than necessary, yet his overall control and skill is evidence throughout as he retains the riotous humour of the piece. Hoffman also is adept at being scriptwriter, bringing the fantasy and romantic switch ups into full fruition with humour and style and sticking to Shakespeare’s poetic verve. A vibe of sexiness is ever-present through this film; found in the double entendres and the presence of Cupid gone awry, causing humorous and unexpected matches. A modernity also pervades many parts of this adaptation, with the literal mud-slinging style catfight between Hermia and Helena a highlight. Set design, particularly in the enchanted forest and Titania’s otherworldly domain, has a definite theatrical quality that feels right for something like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, yet is embellished by the beauty of cinematic eyes and the gorgeousness that celluloid can provide. A light and twinkling score, also infused with some grand operatic arias, sets the pace of the film and what will follow with playful glee.

A handsomely star-studded cast fleshes out the roles of this romantic comic fantasy and are skilled with speaking Shakespeare’s words. The biggest standout is Kevin Kline, who is in his element as the buffoonish but strangely touching Bottom. By balancing the two aspects of comedy and pathos, Kline rules the roost and gives his all to the comic yet poignant character whose garrulous ways and thespian dreams are turned on their head by the adventure in the forest. An effervescent Michelle Pfeiffer is ideally cast as Titania; radiating imperious mannerisms and sweet love especially when funnily bewitched by a transformed Bottom. Not only does Pfeiffer look the part, she plays it extremely well and with ethereal poise. Rupert Everett, with his smooth voice and rakish demeanor, makes for an appropriately louche Oberon, whose schemes are both amusingly wicked and benevolent yet flawed. Calista Flockhart is an inspired choice for the part of Helena, emerging both as earnestly passionate but unlucky and wittily sharp. Flockhart’s performance which takes on a tragicomic nature is up there with Kline as one of the standouts within A Midsummer Night’s Dream. An appealing performance of spirit and vivacity is given by the gorgeous Anna Friel, who gets some very good lines as the star-crossed Hermia. Both Dominic West and Christian Bale have fun as Lysander and Demetrius, who more often than not are sparring partners battling for the affections of Helena and Hermia thanks to the magical mix up. Lending impish relish, sprightly naughtiness and hilarious moments is the ever reliable Stanley Tucci portraying Puck, whose attempts at bringing lovers together go rather awry. Now in supporting roles we have David Strathairn, Sophie Marceau, Bernard Hill and Sam Rockwell, who are all actors I very much admire. The trouble is they aren’t utilized  well enough here and the film could have benefited from showing them a bit more.

Purists may balk at the change of setting and it must be said that a few parts of the film could have been trimmed, yet A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a warmly funny and sexy interpretation of the play from the Bard.

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The World Is Not Enough

Tags

007, 1990's, Colin Salmon, Denise Richards, Desmond Llewelyn, James Bond, Judi Dench, Michael Apted, Pierce Brosnan, Robbie Coltrane, Robert Carlyle, Samantha Bond, Sophie Marceau, Spy, The World Is Not Enough

Film Title

The World Is Not Enough

Director

Michael Apted

Starring

• Pierce Brosnan as James Bond
• Sophie Marceau as Elektra King
• Robert Carlyle as Renard
• Denise Richards as Christmas Jones
• Robbie Coltrane as Valentin Zukovsky
• Judi Dench as M
• Desmond Llewelyn as Q
• Samantha Bond as Moneypenny
• Colin Salmon as Robinson

Pierce Brosnan’s third outing as 007 after previously playing the spy in GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies comes in the form of The World Is Not Enough. Occasionally muddled and a little uneven, it does boast some great sequences, serious drama and interesting characters to keep the interest of the audience for its run time and have some fun with. I mean it’s definitely better than the movie that followed.

In the beginning of the film, Bond manages to retrieve money stolen from Sir Robert King, an oil tycoon and old friend of his superior M. Upon returning the money to MI6 headquarters, disaster strikes as King is killed by money that has been dipped in an explosive. Bond then gives chase along the Thames after a sexy assassin who tries to kill him and then proceeds to commit suicide rather than inform Bond of who her boss is. The attack is traced to Renard, a prominent terrorist and former KGB agent who had previously kidnapped King’s daughter Elektra. Renard has a bullet lodged in his skull, that will eventually kill him but has now rendered him unable to feel physical pain and will allow him to grow stronger until his life expires. Bond believes that with the death of King that Elektra will be the next target for the terrorist. Worried about this and for Elektra, M reveals that she advised King not to pay his daughter’s ransom for fear of negotiating with a terrorist. Feeling a sense of guilt, she sends her best man to watch over the oil heiress who is overseeing the building of an oil pipeline in Azerbaijan. Bond feels immediately protective over Elektra, who appears to be traumatized and vulnerable by her kidnapping ordeal. Yet while investigating Renard and his activities, Bond’s suspicions are aroused by Elektra, as he senses she is concealing something sinister behind her vulnerable appearance. His suspicions are proved right as Elektra is indeed in league with Renard and plans on creating a nuclear disaster in the waters of Istanbul by exploding a stolen nuclear bomb which will benefit her oil supplies and business personally and powerfully. Crisscrossing from Baku to Kazakhstan and eventually Turkey, and with the help of buxom nuclear scientist Christmas Jones and former mob boss turned valuable ally Valentin Zukovsky must battle his way through danger to stop Elektra and Renard’s revenge.

The first thing to notice about The World Is Not Enough is an emphasis on drama that hasn’t really been seen in the Bond movies before. There is something developed about many of the characters and it is interesting to see them as two-dimensional people in a dangerous world. Admittedly, some of the drama does come off as more than a little muddled and underdeveloped. But director Michael Apted manages to bring a fresh dynamic to the series and stamps his own style on the movies with assurance. Apted also brings in his typical fashion the powerful and layered women to the forefront of the story, especially in the form of Elektra and an expanded role for M. Even though the mix of drama and action in The World Is Not Enough can be a little jarring, when both camps score, they score very highly to create some excellent Bond worthy moments. The boat chase on the Thames blasts the film into exciting motion and really stands as a definite action highlight, alongside a thrilling ski chase and a dangerous encounter with a bomb speeding along a pipeline. Having the bullet in Renard’s head slowly kill of his pain receptors but increase his strength is an intriguing idea but to be honest it doesn’t really add as much to the plot as it thinks it does and comes off as a rather wasted opportunity. The locations used are sublime with the heat of Kazakhstan and the nighttime glamour of Istanbul exceptionally realized. David Arnold returns for his second Bond score and delivers a stunning piece of work that accentuates the themes of distrust and betrayal. Alternative rock band Garbage provide the eerie yet sensual title track that is an exemplary sonic accompaniment to the languid title sequence of lovelies formed from slithering oil and fields of pumping oil derricks.

Pierce Brosnan brings his charm and smarts to this outing as 007, and he is allowed to show a lot more seriousness than before which proves highly effective given the drama in the story. We manage to see the more ruthless side to Bond in this adventure which is always interesting to watch. Sophie Marceau is on fine form as the duplicitous Elektra and fully embodies the capricious nature of the character. Elektra can be vulnerable and weak one minute and then ruthless and crazed the next, all of this is down to the successful performance of the intriguing Marceau. Because the character of Elektra is so well written, the part of the other villain Renard suffers. Robert Carlyle does bring an intensity to the part that is most befitting, but the underwritten nature of the character sadly short changes him. Denise Richards may be one gorgeous woman but her acting in The World Is Not Enough as a Bond girl is poor. She plays Christmas Jones, a nuclear scientist who helps Bond after Renard steals a nuclear bomb. But to be perfectly honest about her, the character is just so ridiculous and superfluous. I mean she looks curvaceous, athletic and sexy as hell in her Tomb Raider style get up of revealing tank top and hot pants, but when she starts talking about the dangers of nuclear weapons and scientific properties, it is really hard to take her seriously at all. Returning after his role in GoldenEye, Robbie Coltrane brings humour and assurance to the role of Valentin Zukovsky, who has supposedly become a legit businessman but still occasionally dabbles with crime. Judi Dench gets a more expanded role as M this time around and gives the extended part deep emotion and heart as she wrestles with a sense of personal guilt over her handling of Elektra’s kidnapping ordeal. Desmond Llewelyn appears for the final time as beloved gadget master Q. In a sad footnote, Llewelyn died after the premiere of this film and although his last scene with Bond wasn’t planned, when he says goodbye to Bond it is filled with a very deep poignancy that is hard to shake off. Llewelyn was truly part of the Bond fabric and his contribution to the series is a testament to his excellent talent. Samantha Bond and Colin Salmon are once again on hand for the parts of Moneypenny and fellow agent Robinson.

Muddled and sometimes jarring, The World Is Not Enough may not be perfect. But with cool action, beautiful locations and many of the actors performing excellently, it is a pulse-pounding spy yarn to say the very least.

 

Female Agents

Tags

2000's, Déborah François, Drama, Female Agents, Foreign Language Film, Jean-Paul Salomé, Julie Depardieu, Julien Boisselier, Marie Gillain, Maya Sansa, Moritz Bleibtreu, SOE, Sophie Marceau, Thriller, World War II

Film Title

Female Agents

Director

Jean-Paul Salomé

Cast

• Sophie Marceau as Louise Desfontaines
• Julie Depardieu as Jeanne Faussier
• Marie Gillain as Suzy Desprez
• Déborah François as Gaëlle Lemenech
• Moritz Bleibtreu as Karl Heindrich
• Maya Sansa as Maria Luzzato
• Julien Boisselier as Pierre Desfontaines

Inspired by true events, Female Agents tells of five women’s attempts to stop secrets being leaked to the Nazi’s during World War II regarding the Normandy Landing. Thrilling, compelling and excellently acted, it is a tribute to brave women during the war and the dangerous tasks taken to ensure the safety of millions.

The year is 1944. Louise Desfontaines is a member of the French Resistance who flees to London after her husband is killed. She is then recruited by SOE( Special Operations Executive), an organisation created by Churchill to conduct spying and dangerous missions in occupied Europe. Louise is tasked with the rescue of a British geologist who has been captured by the Germans and holds valuable information regarding the Invasion of Normandy. She is told to form a group of women to aid her in the dangerous mission along with her brother Pierre. The women are chosen for specific qualities and reasons. They are Suzy, a seductive cabaret dancer who was formally engaged to a Nazi colonel, Gaëlle, a devoutly religious girl who is skilled with explosives, Jeanne, a hard-edged prostitute adept with weapons and Maria, a Jewish woman looking for revenge after her family was taken to a concentration camp. They arrive in France and quickly go about rescuing the man from enemy clutches in a French hospital. The women seem to have succeeded until they are accidentally revealed to a prominent colonel in the SS, Karl Heindrich who happens to be Suzy’s former lover. From then on it a race against time to not only save the geologist but also their lives and carefully planning to kill the colonel. Prepare to be enthralled by the dangerous mission undertaken and the lengths the women go to in order to survive and see it through.

The first thing that catches the eye is the believability of the settings and costumes, that really take you into the heart of war-time intrigue. Music plays a key part in the film and the score adds a poignant and epic sweep as the narrative unravels at a break neck speed. Credit must go to the screenplay for presenting a war movie from a female perspective, carefully showing us the dangers these women undertook to make sure of successful missions that could cost them their lives. Although the film goes at a fast, driving speed, the film still makes time for us to engage with the five women and watch as they risk their lives for their cause. The film although packed with adventure does not shy away from the brutalities of war and intrigue, clearly shown when members of the group are tortured for information by having their heads dunked underwater and hit repeatedly.  Above all, it is the acting, mainly from the quintet of women that keeps the story running smoothly. Heading the cast is Sophie Marceau as Louise, she carefully embodies the stoic responsibility as leader of the group but we sense a pain underneath her outwardly cold facade. Julie Depardieu creates a convincing character in Jeanne, the prostitute unafraid of staring death in the face. Marie Gillain exudes glamour and poignancy as Suzy, who is initially reluctant about the mission because she knows it will bring her back into contact with her former lover. Déborah François is luminous as the bomb expert who still clings to religion to get her through the dangerous mission. And Maya Sansa emits a quiet rage as the vengeful Maria, who by her own admission will relish the chance to kill those who murdered her family. Out of the males in the cast, Moritz Bleibtreu is the most convincing, excellently capturing the outward charisma of his SS colonel character but then showing the brutal violence that lurks beneath it.

If it’s a World War II thriller with a difference and a definite and loving recreation of time, then Female Agents is the advisable film for you. The luminous female cast alone is reason to see this inventive thriller inspired by true events.