All Is True

I thought this was a reasonably good film - there's a good cast and Judi Dench gives a particularly decent performance but I did find Branagh's prosthetics quite distracting - it didn't quite look right, it was a bit overly embellished or some such. Ian McKellen looked more the part as the earl of Southampton, I thought. There are definitely some poignant moments but there are relatively dull moments too. Of course the story of Shakespeare's young son dying and him not being there to witness it, is a sad one - its nothing to trivialise at all, certainly. I believe this film was written by Ben Elton and I could see that it perhaps inspired him to go on to write the BBC TV sitcom 'Upstart Crow' - indeed, Shakespeare is called precisely that during the film. There is some nice scenery, so that's a plus as well but I did think the script could perhaps have been improved, as on ocassion it felt a little slow and without a real structure. I reckon it's worth sticking with, as it becomes most poignant right towards the end but if your not keen on period dramas, or interested in Shakespeare, then its not really worth seeing. Also, I should point out that it is a fictionalised account of what happened during the final years of Shakespeare's life, after the famous Globe theatre was burnt to the ground. The irony of the film being called 'All Is True' has not passed me by(!). It does provide food for thought but I wouldn't say its one of my favourite films of this sort (costume/period dramas), no. If your a fan of Judi Dench, however, I would recommend it and if your interested in a pre-Upstart Crow Shakespeare film written by Ben Elton.

This is the kind of film in which Kenneth Branagh excels best as both a director and an actor. Certainly the script is not the best and perhaps the director's deep attachment to Shakespeare and his works plays a bit against him because of the sentimental treatment, but it still seemed like a decent film.

A heavily-made-up Kenneth Branagh stars as Shakespeare, who returns to his home after the Globe Theatre burns down. Once there, attempts to deal with the death of his only son, while trying to mend the relationships with his wife (Judi Dench) and remaining daughters. This film captures the period with beautiful cinematography, a quiet pace and sometimes extended wide shots of dialogue. The sluggish tempo allows plenty of time to absorb the mise en scene, but it also strains interest. The performances are interesting and the story presents a fascinating part of The Bard's life, but the objective approach (thanks partially to director Branagh) keeps the film from ever grabbing hold.

It’s curious that we have a movie about William Shakespeare bearing a name like All Is True when the largest portion of it may well not be. But of course, how could any of this be known when it all took place so very long ago and, so little survives or had been recorded about the famous Bard. Writer Ben Elton has donned both his creative hats for this concoction – that of total fictional fabrication and ‘what we think to know’ presumptions. Director/actor Kenneth Branagh while wanting to accurately transcribe the times may have forgotten that it’s also important to entertain his audience and allow them to enjoy the visual treats of sets, costumes, and creating a mood via creative lighting. His sets are so gloomily lit there’s a tenancy to lull the viewer to sleep. A particularly slow pace could even leave some reaching for the 2 x times remote. This need not have been - broad subjects such as this, set in dark times, under other great lighting/cameramen have allowed us to be transported back to bygone candle/gaslight days by using deep blacks and well-lit subjects that allowed viewers to feel the era and enjoy the rich moods simultaneously. For an artificial interpretation of reality, a thinking audience will forgive any production that considers their visual appreciation over sombre moods. Modern liberties seem to have been catered for by suggesting that Will’s Sonnets may have been written for another bloke – in this case, the Earle of Southampton. Not sure where Elton came up with this suggestion as there doesn’t appear all that much documentation to build on that assumption. We learn that Mr Shakespeare did not attend University, somewhat proving that a University degree can’t always account for intelligence, and that his wife Anne was illiterate. There are other family intrigues to offer personal interest but what promised to be an enlightening experience comes across as a tad too heavy-handed and at times inaccessible. Performances are good but still remains for dedicated Shakespeare followers only, and some won’t even last the distance – it’s not that it's overlong, just takes it’s time telling its (largely fabricated) story.

What an everlasting piece of crap. The writing is HORRIBLE, on the level of a bad Hallmark card. I can't believe Branagh did this. He must need money.