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I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

As Good As It Gets

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

I remember being pleasantly enchanted by this rather winsome film version of Shakespeare's romantic comedy/fantasy when it first appeared, and it certainly looked beautiful on the big screen with its gorgeous, warm cinematography, composition and production design. It created a pleasant, warm feeling in the audience, delivering a comforting experience, and drawing a few chuckles here and there; smiles rather than belly laughs. For here the comedy is fairly genteel, and often also quite melancholic –there is always another dimension to each moment of laughter, a story beyond, especially with the band of craftsmen who put their heart into performing, despite their lack of any real talent. Their preparations for and ultimate performance of "Pyramus and Thisbe" is where much of the comedy of the play lies, but in this film the traditional comic moments are toned down a great deal. I admire the restrained performances of both individuals and the amateur group as an ensemble, because it is so easy to go over the top with their part in the story. Here we smile affectionately rather than laugh mockingly, and our smiles are warm and sympathetic, as they sometimes are when someone in the family performs at a wedding or similar despite a lack of talent. Kevin Kline as Bottom naturally takes much of the limelight, and gives his character a whole deeper life than is normally seen, as does the very underrated Roger Rees as Peter Quince –he gives an immensely dignified and rather beautiful performance here, full of subtle details that I only really appreciated upon viewing the film again. I found many of the magical scenes with the fairies to be quite mesmerizing, and the careful use of special effects was just right in creating moments of fantasy and wonder without overwhelming the picture. Much of the beauty of the play lies in the lines spoken by Oberon and Titania and Puck, and Rupert Everett, Michelle Pfeiffer and Stanley Tucci give great respect to the language and poetry of Shakespeare, without falling to the traps of prettifying it or making it bombastic –it's poetry, yet living dramatic interaction too. By and large, I think most of the cast do quite well with the text, making it alive and personal, and I certainly am not one of those who despair at American voices uttering Shakespeare; quite the contrary. Here, there is a nice mix of American and British voices, and it is to the film's credit.If I were pushed to criticize the film it would be for its lack of "edge" or danger –passion, if you like. This applies both to the two pairs of young lovers, and the fairy characters and their escapades. Everything is a little too mellow and tame, so that we are lulled more than provoked. A little more spice or audacity would have perked things up considerably, and the story certainly gives room for and even suggests this.But the director has his own vision of the play and is at least consequent in his presentation of that, and it's perfectly acceptable. The interesting thing is that A Midsummer Night's Dream may be tackled in many different ways, and the "world" that is presented here in all its lush, green, dream-like beauty is no less valid than other more provocative versions of Shakespeare's magical comedy.

a charming adaptation. loyal to the play, using few modern pieces, beautiful cinematography, perfect cast. a film who reminds the colors, the flavors, the joy, the humor of a lovely masterpiece. all is fresh. all is seductive. and, in few scenes, almost perfect. a film who seems invent again an universe but, in fact, only impose its true nuances. Kevin Kline's work is gorgeous and Rupert Everett seems be the perfect Oberon. the wood, the story of the two couples, the delicate story of Tysbe, the grace of atmosphere of an Athens who seems between periods, all does the film a seductive adventure. and that is not surprising. only admirable because the simplicity is not easy to create in the case of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

This is a worthy attempt at adapting Shakespeare, but unfortunately it fails. For the record, i have no problem with setting in late 19th century, or the nudity; Shakespeare would have used mud wrestling if allowed. Failing is due to other reasons.Movie takes itself far too seriously, for a play that is extremely funny that is fatal. In Shakespeare, comedy comes from absurdity, changeability, and arbitrariness, of love, even when it is intense and passionate. Love and Reason do not indeed keep company. But screenplay, instead of laughing at absurdity, presets tragedy, and almost forgets to laugh. Play within play results in tears, and not from laughter. Bottom at the end gets a lovers' farewell from Titania, instead of loathing disgust she expresses in text.Generally actors are well cast, and give competent performances. Problem with Kevin Kline's Bottom is the screenplay which underplay the absurd juxtaposition of Bottom with Titania, not him. Pfeiffer, who has proved she can act in other movies, fails to convince here as fairy queen. Even though she she looks great for the part, we see her reading lines and acting. Calista Flockhart does well as Helena.Italian town sets and costumes are excellent but wood looks fake. Bicycle obsession does not contribute anything.

Having studied 'The Tempest' at school anyone who knows me knows of my remarkably low opinion of Shakespeare. I think he's utterly over rated and his plots are weak and making up words his nothing to be proud of. Yes he was talented but is it strictly nessesary to dedicate a SATS paper to him? I don't think so.Yes I hate Shakespeare and I'm not embarrassed in the least to say that i don't understand a word of his plays. However I enjoyed this film. Which coming from me means a lot. The cinematography was good enough to make up for the language and the acting was good enough that i actually understood what was happening. The moment the film finished i had to rewind it and watch it again.