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Imagine a work by Shakespeare reduced to one of those pretty, glossy coffee-table picture books that have only a dollop of text alongside its sumptuous photographs, and you might have Michael Hoffman's adaptation ofA Midsummer Night's Dream. This all-star version of Shakespeare's comedy is gorgeously shot in Tuscany, complete with a magical forest, breathtaking landscapes, beautiful villas, picturesque villages, stunning period costumes--oh wait, there's supposed to be astory here, too! Hoffman hijacks Shakespeare's basic premise but doesn't instill it with much more than surface shine and transplants it to turn-of-the-century Italy. Ergo, it's left up to the actors to find the heart and soul of this classic play, in which the fairies of the forest play mix and match with four young lovers, courtesy of a magical love potion. Hoffman couldn't ask for better (or better looking) actors to play Shakespeare's dreamlike love games--Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, Kevin Kline, Anna Friel, Dominic West, the list goes on and on--but he sure as heck doesn't know what to do with them, aside from putting them in various states of undress. Only Flockhart (as the lovestruck Helena), Tucci (a sprightly Puck), Pfeiffer (dazzling and funny as the queen of the fairies), and especially the sublime Kline (as weaver-turned-donkey Bottom) seem to connect with their characters in ways that make this adaptation occasionally soar; the rest are inexplicably left to flounder. Hoffman does seem to set himself right with the film's climax, when Bottom's amateur acting troupe hilariously enacts the tale of Pyramus and Thisbe (it helps that the troupe includes Roger Rees, Sam Rockwell, and Bill Irwin). Those searching for a more in-depth exploration of Shakespeare's farce might do better to look elsewhere, but if it's gorgeous actors and scenery you're in the mood for (along with an evocative opera soundtrack), and an all's-well-that-ends-well ending, thisMidsummer Night will give you pleasant if weightless dreams.--Mark Englehart
Why all the hate? I'm surprised at all the negative reviews for this film. So the location is moved to Italy, the time period moved to the turn of the century, and the bicycle is essentially its own character. So what? These changes are not blasphemous but rather entirely charming. Shakespeare's language may be abbreviated, but it's still there and that alone makes it superior to 99.9% of most films. The cast is fantastic, with the exception of Michelle Pfieffer, who may have looked the part but had no grasp of the language.
If you are looking for the true experience of this work, see a stage production or read it yourself. If you are looking for a perfectly entertaining and lovely screen adaptation, this one fits the bill splendidly.
Eh... Can anyone enlighten me as to why it's set in Italy? And while we're questioning things, what is with the bicycles? They have no relevance to the plot... Some of the charcters are portrayed differently than was Shakespeare's design. I will say, however, it was a fun movie, and Puck was an especially believable character, and well done. It's worth watching if it's at a friend's house, or some other time when you get to watch free movies, but I wouldn't buy it if I were you.strange i never actually saw this movie, but i hear from my friends at the big WJ(willis jepson) that this movie is exremely queer and has some (.) (.) touching in it. read oh mama review, he saw it and he's who i heard from.
