Watch Twelfth Night, or What You Will For Free

Such a frustrating disappointment

Absolutely the worst movie.

The movie is wildly uneven but lively and timely - in its own surreal way

The joyful confection is coated in a sparkly gloss, bright enough to gleam from the darkest, most cynical corners.

This production has two major failings: first, and foremost, the tone is somber and the pacing is leaden (especially at the end). It is sometimes interesting but never funny--hardly a ringing endorsement of a comedy.The bigger failing, though, is the whole production is constantly, and blatantly, artificial. The three groups of characters are racially segregated--Orsino and his court are black, Olivia and her court are white, and Viola/Sebastian are Indian. Why? Is the director exploring the theme that black men always want white women? Is Viola-as-Caesario having trouble fitting in in Orsino's court because she is the only non-black? Indians are always in need of assistance? All Indians look alike? The answer to all these is obviously no: there is absolutely no deeper meaning to the casting than the desire to do something different.There are also many sequences of fast cuts, and flashbacks, that get in the way of the story.The acting is decent, but lacking subtlety.Definitely not the best Twelfth Night out there.

First, the acting in this production is excellent, with each actor finding new aspects of the characters in ways you wouldn't have thought of before. Second, the staging is novel and invigorating without being coy and silly in the way some modernized stagings of Shakespeare can be. The multi-ethnic casting adds another dimension of tension and sensuality to the story. If you are familiar with this play, what is intriguing is how this production renders all the lines faithfully, but the text becomes a melancholic, philosophical reflection on life and love--very sweet and moving without being cute. However, if you are watching this instead of reading Cliff Notes, yes, you'll probably have trouble writing your term paper. You will have to pay attention as much as you'd have to pay to actually reading the play. The only real criticism I'd make is that some attempts to be arty with the camera (and editing) don't always succeed.

I am not sure just what it is about TWELFTH NIGHT that makes it so difficult to mess up. Whether as movie or play, it's as close to a sure thing as Shakespeare ever wrote. I can't recall any production I have seen that didn't offer at least something worthwhile, and this new version--filmed probably for British or Scot television in 2003--boasts much more than that. Heavier on melancholy than most, it showcases a wonderful cast that's new to me (except for Parminder Nagra from "Bend It Like Beckham," Chiwetel Ejiofor from "Dirty Pretty Things" and Michael Maloney-- who makes a superb Malvolio).Director Tim Supple (who also co-adapted) has set this in modern dress, and here the modern angle works terrifically well. Having the roles of Viola and Sebastian played by East Indians is also a smart move, adding a layer of Britain's colonial history to the mix. As well as I already know the play, I was often surprised at how Supple's visual choices uncovered new meaning to the script. And, as ever, the revealing of identities and mutual bonding at play's end moves us all over again. I think this sad and lovely version might be a good place for beginners to start--and confirmed 12th Night-lovers to continue their study.

I am not a fan of putting Shakespeare's language into a modern setting. I didn't like the modern Romeo&J, however, I did like Kurosawa's version of King Lear because he didn't use the olde language. I have been watching this version for over an hour now and I have been moderately interested in it but mostly bored. I have no knowledge of the play itself, this film has just made me think that I would like to see the play in it's original form, for this version is too confusing and boring. I like the way Hindi has been spliced into the dialogue. The film does not hold itself up. Not knowing the original story is a problem because this version does make it all confusing. If you are the same then don't start with this one. I would say this version is for those arty people who know what they are talking about and are able to judge scene by scene how this director has managed to interpret the original play.