A Midwinter's Tale (1995)
Out of work actor Joe volunteers to help try and save his sister's local church for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet, somewhat against the advice of his agent Margaretta. As the cast he assembles are still available even at Christmas and are prepared to do it on a 'profit sharing' basis (that is, they may not get paid anything) he cannot expect - and does not get - the cream of the cream. But although they all bring their own problems and foibles along, something bigger starts to emerge in the perhaps aptly named village of Hope.
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Please don't spend money on this.
For all the hype it got I was expecting a lot more!
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
Coming off the financial failure of two big films and the end of his marriage to Emma Thompson, Branagh wrote this witty, touching, and funny ode to the madness that goes on into putting on a show and acting, and the pure joy when ,against all odds, it turns out better than you could ever hope.Produced by Castle Rock and released on VHS by Columbia(after a small but critically successful theatrical run in the U.S. as MIDWINTER'S TALE), this is a film that deserves rediscovery and a decent DVD release. Seek it out. If you have any love of the theatre, this is a must own.The cast is full of familiar British faces,(Branagh himself does not appear,content with doing an admirable job of writing and directing) who all make their wonderful eccentric characters real and lovable.The nicest discovery is just how marvelous Joan Collins is at comedy.
One of my all-time favorite movies. Anything Kenneth Branagh directs is magic, and this is one of his finest. Clearly based on his own experience as an avid Shakespearean actor and director (He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company before forming Renaissance Films.), he too has often said "I saw Hamlet when I was fifteen, and it changed my life." As a group of misfit actors (including a male homosexual Gertrude)struggle to get their play, William Shakespeare's Hamlet, ready to perform for the children of a small town, they encounter many problems, but in the end find love and the true essence of Shakespeare. Magnificent!
I love British film, comedy, theatre and probably because of the intellectual content. It isn't mindless. I watched this with my family and we were all alternatively laughing, crying, laughing. The best bit is the machine gun. Trust me!The video cover had publicity stills in colour. It was a bit worrisome when it presented in glorious black and white. But you get used to it very quickly.My daughter hunted out the video, bought it and it is regularly viewed. The performances are very, very good. Especially Richard Briers, Michael Maloney and Julia Swahala. Jennifer Saunders grates and grates and grates.Watch this film and enjoy.
A perfect little movie, this tale of provincial actors struggling to deliver a production of Hamlet is one that will cheer your Bleak Midwinter if you have any heart whatsoever. Definitely under-rated and one of Branagh's best, it is simply and effectively photographed in black and white, and features a witty, amusing, and at times, hilarious script performed by a stand-out ensemble cast. Although its tale of backstage trials and tribulations will not appeal to all tastes, there is a lot of subtlety and truthfulness to the gentle, genuine sentiment on offer here. Among very few false notes, only Jennifer Saunder's dire caricature as a Hollywood producer really disappoints. The rest of the cast are just terrific. Almost as good a Christmas movie as It's a Wonderful Life, I recommend it.