UK Edition
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Screenwriter: Kenneth Branagh
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, David Oyelowo, Kevin Kline, Adrian Lester, Brian Blessed, Richard Briers
Running time: 127 mins
Certificate: 12A
Kenneth Branagh’s fifth Shakespearean adaptation faithfully translates The Bard’s romantic comedy to the big screen, but despite an impressive beginning fails to sustain interest during a lacklustre second half.
Duke Senior (Brian Blessed) and his small commercial court, including gorgeous daughter Rosalind (Bryce Dallas Howard), are banished by his paranoid brother Frederick into the Forest of Arden. At the same time, Oliver (Adrian Lester) is jealous of his brother Orlando (David Oyelowo) and plots to kill him. But Orlando manages to catch the eye of Rosalind and the pair flirt deliciously, although she is soon disguised as a man and tests his devotion to her. But can the forces of true love and justice eventually triumph?
The opening scenes of As You Like It are bathed in Oriental mysticism and firmly establish and justify the decision to set the story in 19th Century Japan, with the luscious cinematography and score enhancing the visuals in a magical manner. A thrilling encounter between Orlando and a Sumo wrestler is brimming full of tension and Frederick’s attack on the court with his samurai warriors is similarly well executed by Branagh.
As the narrative, romantic intrigues and comical subplots develop, the film flows along nicely and seems devoid of any of the ‘stagey’ elements that always threaten to render adaptations of plays one-dimensional. Branagh swiftly fades in and out as we flit between the concurrent narratives with seamless transition, while his camerawork deserves commendation.
Branagh ensures the camera is rarely static, instead opting to glide around the scene taking place, sometimes back and forth or trudging closer, to give the impression that we’re an active spectator to the events. This is particularly noticeable in the forest sequences with Duke Senior and his crew, with our vantage points gliding in and around the surrounding trees before creeping closer as the drama heightens. Furthermore, this type of filmmaking wisely puts faith in Shakespeare’s words by not attempting any visual pyrotechnics that could threaten to distract us from the essence of the play.
Well, that is until the film hits a serious stumbling block in its second half as the romantic plot between Orlando and Rosalind takes hold – along with the tedium. Bryce Dallas Howard and David Oyelowo both give earnest and decent performances as the two blossoming lovers, but sadly the chemistry is lacking and fails to generate the required interest levels. It all becomes rather stale and static and lets down the earlier material. During their scenes together it’s hard not to hope that Baz Luhrmann will creep onto the set and drop a few firecrackers and liven up the proceedings, just as he did with his sublime 1996 Romeo and Juliet.
A gloriously feel-good ending manages to raise the spirits from the near dead fortunately, although a brave epilogue featuring Dallas Howard weaving in between the film trailers sadly misfires and counterproductively shatters the magical illusion the film tried to sustain.
Nonetheless, As You Like It is full of pleasurable supporting performances, with Kevin Kline and Janet McTeer both providing refreshingly comic elements. The superb Richard Briers manages to solicit a great amount of pathos in his small role as the aging servant Adam.
Brian Blessed is also great fun to watch in his dual roles as Duke Senior and his irate warlord sibling Frederick. Sadly underused as the film drags on, it’s wonderful to see Blessed back in full Flash Gordon mode with his very loud, booming voice. It’s just a shame Shakespeare didn’t have the foresight of Nostradamus, or else he could have sneaked in a crafty line of “he’s aliiiiive!” somewhere in the mix.
Blessed’s characters also embody a touching theme that is evident throughout the narrative – namely that the simple life banished in the forest is full of more (non-material) riches than the opulent life in the court.
Overall, As You Like it is a decent enough attempt to translate The Bard’s ‘rom-com’ to the cinema screen, although the uninspired latter portion of the film means that a pervading sense of disappointment about the project cannot be ignored.
