Twelfth Night Details

Disappointing.

In spite of the excellent cast I didn't think this production came off. It was quite severely cut, which made some scenes quite incomprehensible, and the comedy, which for once is an integral part of a Shakespeare play rather than dragged in to wake the audience up, was totally unfunny - everybody seemed to be trying far too hard. As a result my wife and I immediately ordered a different version to restore our faith in what I think is the Bard's funniest play.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Disappointing.

On paper, this should be excellent. A fairly big name cast, and all big names known for not just being big names but actually being able to act, an excellent director, a stunning location, and one of the Bard's best, funniest plays, when done well.

Unfortunately, it never flies - never really takes off. When done properly, this play is, and indeed should be, hysterically funny at many points, but this film manages only to be midly amusing. The play has been torn to pieces and put back together rather haphazardly, sometimes to good effect but too often destroying the feel of scenes or making other scenes rather inexplicable.

A sad want of chemistry between the leads makes some scenes clearly intended to be charged with eroticism (the one that springs to mind is Viola/Cesario and Orsino almost sharing a kiss as Feste sings of doomed love) more uncomfortable than heated.

Some excellent individual performances, and some genius bits of casting (Kingsley as Feste for example, and Richard E Grant as a comic but also strangely tragic Sir Andrew), which somehow fail to meld into a satisfying whole.

Close, as my dad always said, but no cigar.