Product Description

To be or not to be? To act or not to act? The questions are the same to Joe, a struggling (read: jobless) actor whose every sinew and synapse cries out to perform and to soften the blow of not landing a part in a megabudget sci-fi movie. So in the stalwart (read: desperate) tradition of actors everywhere, Joe vows to put on a show, a special (read: even more desperate) version of the greatest play in the English tongue.

Writer/director Kenneth Branagh serves up Hamlet on wry with this salute to dyed-in-the-wool and other woolly-brained thespians. Michael Maloney (Truly Madly Deeply) portrays Joe, maxing out credit cards and his wits to realize his dream. Does he succeed? Well, with Richard Briers (Branagh's Hamlet), Joan Collins (Dynasty), Nicholas Farrell (Chariots of Fire), Absolutely Fabulous alumna Jennifer Saunders and Julia Sawatha and more joining Maloney, one thing's certain. The show must go on!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1511 in VHS
• Released on: 1999-05-18
• Rating: R (Restricted)
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of tapes: 1
• Running time: 98 minutes

Customer Reviews

Hilarious And Heartfelt
Here's a story for you: Joe, a depressive, out-of-work actor, puts on a no-budget production of Hamlet, as a benefit for a church that's about to be bulldozed by developers; he's plagued by money problems, disinterest from the locals, and a cast of actors that spend their time arguing and sniping at one another. They cannot seem to focus on the play very often-and when they do, they can't get things right. Despair begins to overtake Joe.

Now: picture this as a comedy.

Can't do it? That's okay, because Kenneth Branagh already did it for you.

A Midwinter's Tale (originally titled In the Bleak Midwinter for its British release) takes that concept and weaves comic gold out of it, presenting the viewer with a film that is by turns clever, slapstick, hilarious, and heart-wrenching. After Henry V it's probably Branagh's best film, and funnier by far than his other two comedies, the uber-schmaltzy Big Chill ripoff Peter's Friends, or the intelligently done (though occasionally miscast) Much Ado About Nothing. A Midwinter's Tale surpasses them both with a tightly written script, able and artful direction that owes a debt to both Woody Allen and Frank Capra, and a truly great ensemble cast.

Casting is an integral part of any film, of course, but when one is adapting Shakespeare (or, in this case, doing a film about adapting Shakespeare), good casting is essential. Branagh has been hit-or-miss with this over the years-most notably in the case of Keanu Reeves, hopelessly out of his depth in Much Ado-but in this particular film it's spot-on. From Branagh regulars like Michael Maloney and Richard Briers, to semiregulars like Gerard Horan, Celia Imrie, and John Sessions, to newcomers Julia Sawalha and Joan Collins (yeah, that Joan Collins), everyone does a tremendous job, and each actor approaches his or her role with a verve and a dedication that is extremely fun to watch. Sawalha in particular is a delight as the incredibly nearsighted Nina, Joe's love interest; she brings a vulnerable humanity to her role that not only heightens the humor in her more slapstick scenes, but deepens the drama of the more solemn moments as well. Likewise Sessions (probably most familiar to Americans from his appearances on the British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway?) is given the seemingly one-dimensional/stereotypical role of the female-impersonating homosexual, Terry . . . which would seem unrewarding. But he turns in a three-dimensional characterization that is screamingly funny throughout the film-until his role takes a gutwrenching turn for the dramatic in one of the film's best scenes. And so it goes for each of the characters; they all have something to do in this film, and they all do it superbly, hilariously, and when it is called for, tenderly.

Branagh's script is another key element to this movie's excellence. It's impeccably written, using both Shakespeare and its unique bunch of characters to tremendous advantage. One of the keys to this is that Branagh never makes fun of these people, even when they are at their worst, their silliest, their most pompous, or venal. Branagh has an obvious fondness for these people (presumably based on actors he knew during his own struggles to make it in the business), and he treats them like people, rather than as fall guys or as the means to get to a lame punchline. Every line the characters speak, every scene they're in, shows their humanity, and shows it lovingly. A lot of the humor in the script grows out of character, and that really makes this film shine. It builds the laughter naturally, rather than forcing it through meanness and being shocking or crude, as in the case of many so-called "comedy" writer/directors today.

As I said above, Branagh's direction borrows a page or two from other comedy directors before him, mainly Woody Allen and Frank Capra. The Allen influence shows through the strongest, especially through the dialogue and the first half of the film, which bears a lot of similarities to both Manhattan and Stardust Memories. The opening credits are strongly reminiscent of Allen's classic "middle period pictures; Joe directly addresses the camera, as a lot of Woody's characters do, and this is juxtaposed with music-Noel Coward's delightful "Why Must the Show Go On?", a sardonic look at the gung-ho attitude actors have. The song becomes a leitmotiv throughout the film, with the action echoing Coward's cynical lyrics . . . until the turning point in the film, when the troupe unwittingly comes up with the answer to Coward's question, and demonstrates precisely why the show must go on. From here on in the Capra influence takes over-and I can't say too much about that without giving the ending away, unfortunately. What I will say is that like Capra at his best, A Midwinter's Tale favors sentimentalism over cynicism-something a lot of modern critics find distasteful for some reason. I can't imagine why, especially when the sentiments expressed here-in particular, the value of loyalty and family-are so genuine and loving, especially when contrasted with the phoniness and cruelty that passes for humor these days in far too many films. Branagh is more intelligent than that-and willing to take the risk that the audience is, too. A Midwinter's Tale is like a breath of fresh air compared to the stale stench of most modern comedies; take a chance on it. I guarantee you'll be happy you did.

A great little movie with a top-notch cast
We knew Kenneth Branagh could act, direct, and adapt Shakespeare, but who knew he could write comedy? This film is a discovery. Branagh got some of his friends together (you'll recognize many actors from his other films) and made this gem about an amateur theatre company putting on Hamlet at Christmas time! The audition scenes are priceless.

The script is excellent, the acting is wonderful, and--a rare treat in films--you will care about every character. They all go through changes and become better people as a result of their time together.

Michael Maloney is fine in the lead role of the director (playing Hamlet himself, of course; the comparisons to Branagh are unmistakable), and the rest of the cast give it their all. A standout is John Sessions as the drag queen playing Gertrude. He has the most heartbreaking scene in the film.

All in all, an inspired concept rendered beautifully. A movie with a heart as well as a funny bone.

A Side Note: The original title was "In the Bleak Midwinter," suggesting the Christmas aspect, but I prefer the alternate "A Midwinter's Tale" as it is more Shakespearean.

Please release this on DVD. I keep wearing out my VCR tapes
A great movie. Full of laughter and tears. I laughed and I cried. The only thing that could have made this movie better (10 stars!) would be if they had actually shown the entire Hamlet. That would be the coolest DVD extra ever!! What a great bunch of misfits.
PLEASE release this movie on DVD! I wore out my VCR copy.