Love's Labour's Lost

Starring:Alfred Bell, Richard Briers, Richard Clifford, Carmen Ejogo, Daisy Gough, Daniel Hill, Graham Hubbard, Nathan Lane, Adrian Lester, Matthew Lillard, Natascha McElhone, Geraldine McEwan, Emily Mortimer, Alessandro Nivola, Anthony O'Donnell, Stefania Rocca, Alicia Silverstone, Timothy Spall, Jimmy Yuill
Studio: Miramax
Product Type: DVD

Amazon.com

Having taken Shakespeare at his word on Hamlet (i.e., not cutting a single syllable out of a very long play), Kenneth Branagh selects a more radical approach with Love's Labour's Lost. Here the prolific director-star weeds out much of the play's dialogue and adds songs and dances of a decidedly modern bent. The King of Navarre (Alessandro Nivola, Nicolas Cage's wacko brother in Face/Off) and his three comrades (Branagh, Matthew Lillard, Adrian Lester) take a vow: no womanly distractions while they pursue their studies. Ah, but at that very moment, floating down a magical studio-built river, is the queen of France (Alicia Silverstone), accompanied by three ladies-in-waiting. You do the math. Branagh has set the tale on the eve of the Second World War, which allows for the inclusion of vintage pop songs, including "Cheek to Cheek," "The Way You Look Tonight," and a rousing chorus of "There's No Business Like Show Business," led by--who else?--Nathan Lane. The fact that most of the cast members are not accomplished song-and-dance folk is clearly meant to charm, but the results are spotty at best. Perhaps the most dynamic performer is Natascha McElhone (memorable from Ronin), whose aristocratic bearing and bottomless eyes lend a gravity to the material that is otherwise absent from Branagh's twinkly staging. The play contains some of Shakespeare's loveliest paeans to the language of love, yet Branagh seems to be in a hurry to juice everything up lest the audience lose interest. The labor shows. --Robert Horton

Description

With Kenneth Branagh (WILD WILD WEST, CELEBRITY), Alicia Silverstone (BLAST FROM THE PAST), and Nathan Lane (AT FIRST SIGHT, MOUSE HUNT) leading a stellar ensemble cast, Stanley Donen and Martin Scorsese present a sexy, glamorous, and fun 1930's-style musical that's earned terrific critical acclaim! The King of Navare (Alessandro Nivola -- MANSFIELD PARK, FACE/OFF) and his three best friends think that they've sworn off love in the pursuit of intellectual enlightenment. But when the Princess of France (Silverstone) and her beautiful attendants arrive for a diplomatic visit, their high-minded plans are turned completely upside down! Then, as war rages and secret passions burn, loyalty and devotion are tested like never before! Also featuring hilarious Matthew Lillard (SHE'S ALL THAT, SCREAM) and the classic songs of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and more -- go back in time and allow yourself to be swept away by this wonderfully entertaining motion picture treat!

Customer Reviews:

So bad it's good.......2007-04-17

Taken by its parts, this film has very little to recommend it. The decision to cast a musical with actors who can neither sing nor dance is daring to say the least. Dropping a Shakespearean comedy into a 30s-homage is questionable.

However, I do LOVE this movie. It reaches that very precious stage of bad where it really starts to work. The colors, the filming...bad dancing and poor singing...it feels like this world Branagh has thrown together is teetering on a precipice waiting to fall (which, in fact, it is). It's bad in all the right ways for a rainy, saturday afternoon.

If you are looking for a serious WS-rendition, try Henry V or Hamlet (if it ever comes out on dvd). If you are looking for a well-executed comedy try Much Ado, but if you are looking for something different just for the guilty pleasure of it, give Loves Labours a go.

Very enjoyable adoption of a lesser play..........2007-01-16

I've always considered LLL a "lesser" Shakespeare play. Four hours of archaic puns is something I've only been able to sit entirely through once at the theater, despite the company's strong performance. This adoption makes the play "work." By cleverly using simulated newsreel footage to speed the story along, and interspersing the music of Cole Porter and others, this version of LLL salvages the best aspects of the play.

LOVE'S LABOURS ARE NOT LOST.......2006-11-01

I do not understand why this film has been so underrated. Whatever its flaws are (e.g. Silverston's acting and Branagh's singing) I think that they are largely compensated by the enthusiasm and love that actors and director have put in making this film. I really loved it in spite of the fact that I am not a fan of Branagh at all. The last minutes are really moving and beautiful, they convey a sort of nostalgic feeling that seems to pervade the whole film but that is more evident at the final scenes.

The least of Branagh's Shakespeare offerings........2006-09-15

I'm really of two (or three) minds about this film. LLL is a great play. I would have prefered a straight-forward movie keeping the text intact. With the failure of this movie at the box office and critically, it's unlikely I'll ever see a cinematic return to this play in my lifetime. (I am aware of the BBC version from 1985, but that is quite cut up, too.)

That said, I do enjoy this movie for what it is. The women are beautiful (especially Natascha McElhone). Timothy Spall is a great Armado, even if his part is hacked to pieces. Branagh's handling of the scene where the men are overheard professing their loves (4.3) is excellent. The deleted scene of the Nine Worthies is quite good, and would have been a much better choice for the film proper than that goddawful "There's No Business Like Show Business" number.

Which brings me to the songs and the dancing. I really enjoyed "I Won't Dance" and "They Can't Take That Away From Me," but most of the other performances just weren't as good. Not good enough to justify the cutting of Armado's part! The familiarity of the songs didn't really help it, either. New songs in the style of Gershwin would have been a nice, albeit more difficult, choice.

So, all in all, I'm glad I bought it. I'll watch it here and there, but I'm glad I have the (unabridged) Arkangel Audio tape to turn to when I need a shot of Love's Labour's Lost. Which I need more often than you might think.

Good Idea, Poor Execution.......2006-06-02

I really love Branagh's idea of turning "Love's Labor's Lost" into a musical, but it just wasn't that good. Every Branagh production has an "ouch" casting, and this time it was Alicia Silverstone, though not as bad as Keaneau Reeve's "Don John," she made a much better "Clueless" teenager, as she seemed uncomfortable with the language. Second, I think the biggest thing that detracted from this production was actually the way it was filmed. Everytime there was a big musical number, he pulled the camera back. I know this was harkening back to thirties productions, but the lack of solid coreography, and poorly skilled dancers made those on screen seem insignificant, and took away from the immediacy of the action. Additionally some of the song choices just didn't fit, though Lane's "Show Business" was brilliant. Overall, it is an average show, and would have to point people toward "Much Ado" first before they delve into this one.

Average customer rating:

So bad it's good
Very enjoyable adoption of a lesser play...
LOVE'S LABOURS ARE NOT LOST
The least of Branagh's Shakespeare offerings.
Good Idea, Poor Execution

Love's Labour's Lost [Region 2]

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Musicals & Performing Arts | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Twelfth Night
Much Ado About Nothing
Henry V
A Midsummer Night's Dream
The Taming of the Shrew

ASIN: B000055YFG

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

So bad it's good.......2007-04-17

Very enjoyable adoption of a lesser play..........2007-01-16

LOVE'S LABOURS ARE NOT LOST.......2006-11-01

The least of Branagh's Shakespeare offerings........2006-09-15

Good Idea, Poor Execution.......2006-06-02

Charlie Rose with Sam Donaldson; Kenneth Branagh, Nathan Lane & Alicia Silverstone (June 9, 2000)

Average customer rating:

Charlie Rose with Sam Donaldson; Kenneth Branagh, Nathan Lane & Alicia Silverstone (June 9, 2000)

Manufacturer: Charlie Rose
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

( C ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Description

ABC newsman Sam Donaldson on his new adventures in dot-com as host of the first network news program on the web, SamDonaldson@abcnews.com. Later, British actor-director Kenneth Branagh and actors Nathan Lane and Alicia Silverstone discuss their new film, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost.

Average customer rating: