The Scottish Play

I don't think I've ever seen a movie that seemed so assured in certain aspects and so inept in others. The concept is good; the script--which faces the considerable challenge of providing clear and witty blank verse dialogue and credible additional scenes for Macbeth--is often excellent; the tough parts of the actress and the ghost are handled well; and the cinematography is often lovely.

On the other hand, the pacing is poor, especially in the sluggish first half, in ways that could easily have been corrected. On at least two occasions, one character relates to another what happened in the previous scene--explanation that's begging to be cut. The set-up should have been established much more quickly, leaving more time for the payoff--the rehearsals and the performance of the play within the movie--which are entertaining, when they finally arrive.

The editing is far too busy: too many cuts, too many different shots, too much cutting back and forth during stretches of dialogue--all rather exhausting, undermining some decent material.

Finally, the actor playing the 'charmingly awkward' young theater director is all awkward and no charm. Not his fault, I suspect; he's not right for the part, and it doesn't seem he got much help from the director.

This could have been a fine little movie; it's hard to understand how the people involved could have missed such glaring problems.

The Scottish Play was a complete surprise to me. Delightful, creative, romantic and fun, and oh so much better than most of the mediocrity called movies these days.

Why hadn't I heard of The Scottish Play before? Why isn't this movie better known? Why wasn't it up for all kinds of awards? Why, oh why aren't there more movies like this? I can only hope that the writer and director ,Keith Boynton, becomes discovered by people with money and influence who can give his creative genius the limelight it deserves. May the ghost of Will Shakespeare appear before Hollywood producers and tell them about Keith Boynton!

Keith Boynton has creatively crafted the words of The Scottish Play to the point that it absolutely delightful. Thinking outside of the box and imagining "what if" Shakespeare was really not satisfied with Macbeth. The cast was able to carry off the film perfectly. You will find yourself throughly entertained in this feel good movie then you will begin to think what if Shakespeare were really a ghost wanting to rewrite his plays. I can only imagine that he would be pleased with Boynton and decide that he could probably have not rewritten Macbeth any better himself. This would be a great play to share in a classroom to follow Macbeth then compare and contrast between the two.

Such a fantastic work, wonderful performance by entire cast. Moving. Deep, elegant and also adorable. Love it.

Keith Boynton is wordsmith with a delicate touch, an eye for opportunity to interpret romance, magic, and to give the Bard a chance to revise his work. The cast played their parts to the hilt. I loved the film, and will revisit it with great joy. Boynton is truly a romantic at heart, with fresh breath of air!

As an aficionado of Shakespeare, I have to give Boynton high marks for his use of iambic pentameter: just right. The actors rose to the task of making the film a romantic reality. Believable at every turn. .

The film was too short for my liking, but that doesn't damper my marks for the best film I've seen in many a year.