BootDigest Such a frustrating disappointment

Lollivan It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Aiden Melton The storyline feels a little thin and moth-eaten in parts but this sequel is plenty of fun.

Philippa All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

KFL There are several good reasons to spend an evening with this production of a standard Shakespearean tale of gender confusion and romantic comedy. The lush scenery and attention to period detail, top-notch performances, and Ben Kingsley's rightly acclaimed turn as Feste, the wise and knowing Fool.Nonetheless, the move from play to the big screen has its drawbacks, foremost among which are the great suspension of disbelief the viewer must attempt when Viola is taken seriously as a man, and still moreso when brother and sister, essentially unchanged in appearance, do not immediately recognize each other. Suspension of disbelief is more commonly expected in a stage production, where the circumstances of the confined surroundings necessitate empathetic participation of the audience. In cinema, however, such constraints are generally not present, and standards are correspondingly higher. But if the screenplay includes elements that demand audience empathy, as is the case here, the production will fare badly at just those places.Hamlet and other more "serious" works in the Shakespearean canon have few such elements. Plays such as TN, of a more playful nature and which revolve around improbable plot elements, will bear up less well under the close scrutiny of big-screen cinema.

TheLittleSongbird I have been reading and loving Shakespeare since year 6 of primary school. At first I didn't understand the language, but the many discussions we had about it while reading aloud improved my understanding and didn't waver my interest. Twelfth Night mayn't have the most plausible story of all the Shakespeare plays, but it is still a lot of fun.This Twelfth Night is more than worthy. It is not thr best Shakespeare film, not like Othello, Henry V, Much Ado About Nothing and Hamlet, but it does boast a strong cast and impeccable production values.If I had any criticisms against this Twelfth Night, they would be that as well shot and as interesting as the beginning scene was, part of me found it unnecessary compared to the rest of the film and it didn't add much to the storytelling, and also it did feel a little sugar-coated towards the end.Criticisms aside, this is a very beautiful-looking Twelfth Night, with the luscious photography, autumnal imagery and scenery and colourful, sumptuous costumes. The music is full of memorable tunes that also do well to enhance each scene.Trevor Nunn's direction is excellent, the dialogue is intelligently woven and delivered, the story while condensed still maintains the play's fun and spirit, all the relationships are intact and done convincingly and the pace is smart and snappy.The acting is just great. Toby Stephens deserves credit for breathing life to Orsino, when he could easily have been bland and Imogen Stubbs is radiant. In the more comic roles, Malvolio, Sir Andrew and especially Sir Toby are hoots, and Imelda Staunton is a memorable Maria. My favourites here are Helena Bonham Carter and Ben Kingsley as Olivia and Feste, Carter is note perfect and Kingsley gives perhaps his best ever support turn.All in all, a lot of fun and very worthy. 8/10 Bethany Cox

tonstant viewer In one of the DVD extras, a producer praises director Trevor Nunn as knowing more about Shakespeare than any man in England. (Not true, it's John Barton. But that's another story.) Unfortunately, Nunn attempts to demonstrate his erudition in this beautifully photographed, somewhat medicinal misfire. In an attempt to serve up Shakespeare to everyone, he's bogged himself down in self-conscious paralysis. Despite the beautiful images and the star-studded cast, this is an airless, spineless lump.Imogen Stubbs (Mrs. Nunn) is quite fine as Viola, and Richard E. Grant maintains great energy as Sir Andrew Aguecheek. Just about everybody else is sabotaged by a leaden pace and a heavy directorial hand. Nigel Hawthorne's Malvolio is destroyed by the glacial tempo, and Helena Bonham Carter's charm wilts at half speed.Mel Smith is beautifully cast as Sir Toby Belch, but is also just too darn slow. In a major miscalculation, Ben Kingsley's plays Feste as a menacing ex-con, perhaps Abel Magwitch strayed in from "Great Expectations." This is a Killer Klown from Kornwall.And in order to keep things this sluggish, at least a third of the text of the play is missing. It's the language that makes Shakespeare immortal, not the plots. Bad idea....Oddly enough, in group scenes, actors often lose character, just standing around staring blankly at whoever is talking. You never see this in films, and you shouldn't. It should never happen.There is a 1969 ITV version circulating with Sir Alec Guinness as Malvolio and Sir Ralph Richardson as Sir Toby Belch to remind us of how far we haven't come.But best of all is the 1980 BBC DVD with Felicity Kendall, Sinead Cusack, Alec McCowen, Robert Hardy and Robert Lindsay. That "Twelfth Night" is an ensemble delight from beginning to end, with a full text and virtually flawless in engaging the play successfully on every level at once. Run, don't walk. It's a genuine treat.

Kelli Griffis Trevor Nunn's adaptation of Twelfth Night is exceptionally beautiful, well acted, and emotionally engaging. Ben Kingsley's performance as the Fool stands out as magnificent, but the entire ensemble comes off very well. The film nails both the joy and the darkness of Shakespeare's play - and the play, make no mistake, contains plenty of dark and strange moments when things go, as the drunken uncle Sir Toby Belch says, "Out of tune, sir." The filmmakers deserve credit for not glossing over the shades of sadism in Toby's treatment of Malvolio or the shallow fickleness of Orsino's character. The wintry Cornwall setting dovetails perfectly with the mood of the play, half sun and half shadow, and the costume design (roughly Edwardian, though I am not an expert on fashion history) creatively evokes the luxury of Orsino and Olivia's courtly world, while allowing for - even necessitating - the brilliant re-imagining of the Fool as bohemian vagabond.