All Is True

We know so little about the life of the greatest writer of the English language, but that doesn't stop people from speculating and making him into someone who fits their own agenda. Kenneth Branagh has more right than most to do so - he is the era's finest Shakesperean interpreter and evangelist; there are none who do more or who are so good at making the great man's ancient words breathe with contemporary life. With that permission, Branagh's film (written by Ben Elton) takes the acknowledged fact of the death of Shakespeare's young son, and serves up a deft and moving portrayal of a man in the autumn of his life wrestling with grief, regret, and his legacy. Whilst I found the screenplay often too on the nose and episodic, there is much that is of significance here. The nighttime interiors (of which there are many) are beautifully lit, solely by candlelight. The effect of this is startling - Branagh's Shakespeare spends much of the times in the shadows and half-light, barely visible sometimes, even as he delivers impassioned speeches of grief-fuelled anger (or vice versa). This half-light is significant; it reflects what we know about the man himself, as well as being a reflection of what this version of Shakespeare knows about a key event in his own life. This key event is the subject of a significant plot turn, which also deftly mirrors some of the stranger conspiracy theories about the authorship of some of the works attributed to Shakespeare. There's also something significant being said here about how our grief-shaped memories tend toward the hagiography of the deceased, and how this can be unhealthy for those left behind. Branagh's and Dench's performances are, of course, good; especially good is Kathryn WIlder in the key role of Shakespeare's daughter. Fictional speculation this may be, but as befits a film about one. of the world's greatest geniuses, this a film with more going on than its status as a minor film would suggest.

Interesting and well-done enough as would be expected from a production including Kenneth Branagh and Dame Judi Dench.

Pretentious rubbish from the title to the worthless conversation to any lover of Shakespeare a cringing experience without poetry or prose

bit of a sad tale , for a Sunday afternoon perhaps ?

I appreciate the acting and production design but this movie is boring.

Kenneth, unrecognizable in Shakespeare, tells us a story based on real events from the available documents. It is a reply of the film which doubts that Shakespeare is the true author of the plays. Kenneth tells here an innocuous story at the start that becomes as dramatic as a play by William.

This was a telling tale about many influences on Shakespeares life and dramatic works that it's worthy of note. Performances, settings and staging are excellent. Script in the human interplay is slightly meh (sorry Ben) although the historic scenes are definitive. The scene with Branagh and McKellen is worth it alone...

An excellent production all round. Wonderful acting and a very fascinating premise--a look at Shakespeare's home life and personal relationships that may have been a part imaginative, but did match the few facts that we have of Shakespeare's life. The only thing that I didn't like was Branagh's prosthetic nose, which looked like it should have been used for Cyrano.

I liked it. It's really difficult to see why anyone would say, "Honey, let's goto the cinema and see a film about Shakespeare... no not about his plays, how he dealt with his torments.. no we probably don't need popcorn"; but I did liked it. It's a film that defies prejudice. You'd think that a film on Shakespeare starring Branagh, Dench, McKellen et al would be luvvie overload, it's not. You'd hope that something written by Ben Elton would be comic, it's not. You'd think that a film on Shakespeare would live in the theater, from the opening sequence of the Globe in flames, it certainly doesn't. You'd think that a Shakespeare piece set in Stratford would celebrate the place, it doesn't - he's kinda reluctantly back there and for all the tourist narrative that that's his place, his genius resides in London. What it is is a multi-point character piece that explores legacy, inheritance and family secrets set at a time of shifting influence - the role of women; the coming influence of Puritanism; increasingly wealthy middle class mercantile versus smug aristocracy; the economic influences unleashed by the colonies. As we know, they are non-exclusive, interlap like a Venn Diagram and explode ultimately during Charles I. You are struck by just how dark life was, from perpetual death at all ages to the dinners set peering through candle-light in unwindowed rooms. Stand out performances by Kathryn Wilder and Branagh, who, like Portachio, "really, really looks like him". One for the sofa.

When Will comes home to his wife and daughter to sort through the past and the loss of his son...he finds them in not the best way. He finds out the truth about his son - but it isn't enough substance to make the movie moving.