Hamlet: **1/2
Remakes of classic Literature is rare nowadays. It seems people would rather remake a bad TV show that remake a classic. "Hamlet" was remade into a teen soap opera. It has good acting from all the supporting actors, but Ethan Hawke (who plays Hamlet) can't carry the movie all by himself. He tried to carry it but dropped it somewhere along the way.
The film is about Hamlet, over played (or under, I'm not sure yet) by Ethan Hawke. In this version he's a twenty something son of the Queen (Diane Venora). He has fallen in love with Ophelia (Played nicely by Julia Stiles), but her father (Bill Murray, finally a change of character) has different plans for her. All the classic characters are there. I find it weird, though, that in the year 2000 these people haven't learned slang yet. Are they living in a cave?
The Olde English I kind of had a problem with. After I while, I got into it. The main I had was Ethan Hawke. His context never changed. He said every sentence exactly the same as the last. He might as well repeated himself over and over. Only when the occasion REALLY called for it, he came out of his pathetic shell and acted. Julia Stile is wonderful in this. She really stretched her acting (with dumb teen stuff like "Save the Last Dance" to this). This seems a strange pick for Bill Murray. He's neither funny OR annoying. He's normal for once. I was disappointed with Steve Zahn's character, Rosencrantz. Zahn is always great, but his character just showed up and started inter acting with the plot with very little explaination of his character.
I must comment of the great cinematography. And most of the acting was really good. The story didn't change so I can't complain there. But, the movies isn't good on the level that it feels like retread more than a remake.
Remakes of classic Literature is rare nowadays. It seems people would rather remake a bad TV show that remake a classic. "Hamlet" was remade into a teen soap opera. It has good acting from all the supporting actors, but Ethan Hawke (who plays Hamlet) can't carry the movie all by himself. He tried to carry it but dropped it somewhere along the way.
The film is about Hamlet, over played (or under, I'm not sure yet) by Ethan Hawke. In this version he's a twenty something son of the Queen (Diane Venora). He has fallen in love with Ophelia (Played nicely by Julia Stiles), but her father (Bill Murray, finally a change of character) has different plans for her. All the classic characters are there. I find it weird, though, that in the year 2000 these people haven't learned slang yet. Are they living in a cave?
The Olde English I kind of had a problem with. After I while, I got into it. The main I had was Ethan Hawke. His context never changed. He said every sentence exactly the same as the last. He might as well repeated himself over and over. Only when the occasion REALLY called for it, he came out of his pathetic shell and acted. Julia Stile is wonderful in this. She really stretched her acting (with dumb teen stuff like "Save the Last Dance" to this). This seems a strange pick for Bill Murray. He's neither funny OR annoying. He's normal for once. I was disappointed with Steve Zahn's character, Rosencrantz. Zahn is always great, but his character just showed up and started inter acting with the plot with very little explaination of his character.
I must comment of the great cinematography. And most of the acting was really good. The story didn't change so I can't complain there. But, the movies isn't good on the level that it feels like retread more than a remake.