Ophelia

Valorie Curry and Sam Underwood deliver a stunning performance in this updated look at Shakespeare's Hamlet, from Ophelia's perspective.

Ophelia's anguish is finally laid bare for us all to see by Valorie Curry's intense and moving prrformance. Sam Underwood's Hamlet is one of the best in recent memory, street fighting and desperation unraveling him and alienating the one who loves him most.

This has full length movie punch packed into a tightly woven short thanks to director Jamie Sim's guidance.

A truly moving film.

Although very well acted, shot and edited, I felt somewhat let-down by this precis of the Hamlet-Ophelia relationship. The contemporary setting, seen mostly in B&W flashbacks, flattens the characters of the pair into unimportant nobodies. The feminist viewpoint (created by the Hamlet actor/scenarist) is all that comes through: that Ophelia, in the presence of Hamlet, is "tongue-tied by authority". It is beautiful to watch, but titling it "Ophelia" led me to hope for more.

A poignant, contemporary retelling of Hamlet. Well acted and wonderfully shot.