Le Songe d'une nuit d'été

There have been many adaptations of Shakespeare plays over the last decade or so, most of them aimed squarely at younger viewers. You know the drill: The director picks out rocking, hip tunes to spice up the soundtrack and some hot, young stars to broadly interpret the Bard's work.

That's not the case here. Kevin Kline gets to ham it up as Nick Bottom, the base mechanical with delusions of thespian grandeur, and Michelle Pfeiffer gets to show off her own acting chops as Titania, the Queen of the fairies. Okay, so maybe a little knowledge of the play itself would help the average viewer, but if you're not a fan of the play, you can still witness some absolutely sumptuous camerawork and some funny, funny scenes - many of them dealing with the spellbound Bottom, who's been turned into a jackass. Stanley Tucci underplays (somewhat surprisingly) his role as the mischievous Puck, and even Callista Flockhart turns in a solid performance as one of four human (non-fairy) lovers.

I have seen criticism of this movie saying that the language should have been changed to our post-modern English instead of being the original late-middle/early modern English that Shakespeare used. But those who say that miss the point that what makes these plays so magnificent IS the language that Shakespeare used, and to change it would be to ruin the movie.

Anyways, the acting is marvelous, as it should be from such a cast as this. Michelle Pfeiffer plays the part of Titania with the utmost perfection. Kevin Kline as Nick Bottom is equally as good, and the two end up having a chemistry that is unmistakable (even if he is an ass at this point).

The directing is also great - almost as good as the acting, if not as good. Costumes, sets, everything with exception of there being headlights on the bicycles, is perfect. Michael Hoffman truly pulled of a great feat with this movie, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Also, on a side note, if you have trouble understanding the language, though it be English, watch the DVD and turn on the subtext.

This is a wonderful film and an excellent version of the classic that was done so very, very well in 1935 and 1968. No, this is not the Royal Shakespeare Company, it's Hollywood but damn good Hollywood. Why? How can canned commercial movie-making compete with the Bard's best? Why does this version make that of the RSC three years before PALE? Well, there's the cast, for one. Stanley Tucci is delightful as a drole erring Puck carrying out the directives of Rupert Everett's pompous Oberon. The delightful Cast of Players, including Rockwell, Irwin, Rees, Wright and (tah-DAH!) Kevin Klein as Bottom. The scenes with the lovelier than lovely Michelle Pfeiffer's Titania are wonderful and poignant. It is delightful to see that gentle erotica can be suggested without nudity or slathering tongues, sucking lips as well as the usual grunts-pants-moans, etc. The lovers are likewise delightful with great, fun-packed performances by Christian Bale's Demetrius and Dominic West's Lysander in complete tune with Anna Fiel's Hermia and Calista Flockhart's Helena. Even David Strathairn's Theseus and Sophie Marceau's Hippolyta are wonderful. The story is moved from Athens Greece to Athens, Italy, at the turn of the 19th century with the lovers escaping on bicycles. Stanley Tucci's confrontation with the bike is a delight. This is a wonderful film with some new twists that depart from but do not detract from the Bard. The bit with Kevin Kline's wife, hard-looking but attractive Heather Parisi, works well with the setting of this fun-filled, joyful presentation.

I admit, that I have not read the play, so probably all of the credit for the idea goes to Shakespeare himself. But I was also caught by the magic of the pictures. The actors and actresses were so pretty, the story so nicely recited, and the atmosphere somehow magically ravishing. I got a lot of positive feelings out of this movie, and when I walk through the forest now, I am reminded of them. Well, this film did leave a wonderful trace in my mind. Hopefully, it lasts for a couple of days. I give it an 8/10.

There is much to recommend this "Midsummer Night's Dream" – it's beautifully filmed, well acted by a starry cast and of course – it's Shakespeare, full of humor, wit and insight. (As always with Shakespeare, you would do well to read the play before watching the movie, preferably with an edition that explains the subtler points of the dialogue.)

While wholeheartedly recommending this film for the above reasons, I would have to acknowledge that the overall feeling, despite its merits, is that this is a version seriously lacking in magic. Magic plays a large part of the proceedings but despite the special effects, this "Midsummer Nights Dream" is not nearly as uplifting and enchanting as it is intended to be.

Zefferelli's fantastic success with "Romeo and Juliet" was a one off, in that the principals were unknowns. Without big names, it's doubtful whether a lavish production such as this would ever have been made. It's often been stated by film makers that the crucial stage is that of casting. A film well cast will in effect cause the pieces fall together as they should.

The casting of this film is way off mark. Signing up a group of stars, both well known and talented, may be good for the box office, but they are a haphazard and motley bunch. There is no "cohesion" at all. Rupert Everett as Oberon may be a fine bit of casting, as may be Stanley Tucci as Puck; but not in the same production ! Pfeiffer and Everett too are uneasy, but the worst paring must surely be Calista Flockhart and Christian Bale. In a play where chemistry is everything, this glaring lack of chemistry between the players is a huge drawback.

Far more successful are the amateur players, headed by Kevin Kline in fine form with beautifully crafted performances by Roger Rees, Sam Rockwell and the others. Their scenes reveal what this could have been.

Still, enough remains to make this a worthwhile experience.