The Comedy of Errors (1983)

Truly the worst movie I've ever seen in a theater

Best movie ever!

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

It is encouraging that the film ends so strongly.Otherwise, it wouldn't have been a particularly memorable film

I do find this story amusing even if not one of Shakespeare's very best. It's good enough to thoroughly enjoy and very well done too in this version. I particularly like Michael Kitchen (a favourite of mine anyway) as the patrician twins. Normally I don't like doubling of twins, I'd prefer two actors even if not identical enough - the audience can always take it they are identical, no problem. But MK did this so well, with the tetchy Ephesus twin with doublet always unbuttoned and the pleasant Syracusan with doublet always buttoned, plus the usual filming tricks to have them face to face at the end, that I had no problem this time. Perhaps this is partly because MK is such a good actor! The story is light and fluffy although with that serious edge one expects in Shakespeare, that twins parted at birth and parents also parted at the same time causes much distress. It seems rather strange the Syracusan side of the family waits so long to seek out the lost twin but you do need the twins to be adult because of the love interests. The utter confusion that ensues when one twin is taken for another is wonderful.Even more, it's two sets of twins since we also have the servant twins both called Dromio, leading to even more confusion. And parents finally reunited too. Very nice.I simply loved this production. Wonderful fun with fine actors. Roger Daltry does well as Dromio.

This play is not as feeble as, say, "Two Gentlemen of Verona," but it's not terribly strong either. Directors have a tendency to throw in distractions to up the level of interest: Trevor Nunn threw in nine songs, Greg Mosher added a clown and a drag queen, and here James Cellan Jones throws in a mime troupe.I don't care what his rationale was, there are three things in life worth avoiding: folk dancing, incest and commedia dell'arte. The mimes are superfluous, annoying and nowhere near as interesting as they are supposed to be.Getting past that, this is neither the strongest nor the weakest of the BBC Shakespeares. The set is a cheerful stylization of a tiny town on the Aegean, with a surprising amount of atmosphere. It's easy on the eyes and is also built in the round, so no matter which way the camera looks, you remain solidly within the physical setting.Cyril Cusack and Wendy Hiller get the acting honors, with a tip of the hat to Charles Gray.The master and servant pair from Syracuse are relaxed and benign, those from Ephesus are sour and prone to violence. Since the TV camera would not forgive two sets of actors pretending to be identical twins, one single actor plays both Antipholi (?), and another both Dromios. Michael Kitchen labors over a case of flu to differentiate his characters. Roger Daltrey is sincere and good-natured, but way out of his depth here and best passed over in silence.The trouble, as so often with farce, is the pace. Though things start off promisingly and finish well, that droop in the middle is serious.So, not a show for the ages, but not the worst thing ever to happen to the Bard.

I was a bit worried at the beginning, (I just hate 'fire-eaters' in merry crowd scenes..and unfortunately there are jugglers and mimes too,another hate of mine)So I was tensed from the start.Luckily it didn't deter me, and I was able to enjoy a great performance from Michael Kitchen, and an amateur but still enjoyable one from Roger Daltry.OK,the plot is corny, the set minimal.So what? It's a fun production and I enjoyed it. (I even smirked a few times)Not the most crucial Bard Product but recommended all the same!

To cast one Roger Daltrey may be regarded as a misfortune. To cast two looks like carelessness.This is a woefully clunky piece of film-making, and its biggest mistake is to use sophisticated special effects (sorry, awkward split-screen work) so that the same actors can play both identical twins. The BBC series is always over-literal in its interpretations, and this is a classic example; when the two Roger Daltreys and the two Michael Kitchens are identical to the point of pristine perfection, the story is actually made even less realistic than it was before. And it's also made less interesting; the actors don't play each twin as having a different personality, so it's difficult to tell who is who, and even more difficult to care. (Quite apart from the fact that Daltrey can't act...)Unintentional humour: check out the under-rehearsed actors who attempt to mime Egeon's story of his travels. It's really funny in a painful kind of way.