The Tempest
Reviews
Filipe Manuel Neto
**A film that seemed very promising, but ended up being very disappointing.** I have to say that I have never read _The Tempest_ and I needed, before seeing the film, to read a little about the original play. Personally, I really like the works of William Shakespeare and have read several of his plays. And I've also noticed that the most staunch defenders of the renowned author's work are sometimes quite suspicious of cinematographic approaches. To some extent, I understand them, but I am also able to understand the need to make adaptations, cuts or changes. Perhaps the most shocking or questionable, in this case, is the change of sex of the central character, who would be a man and here was played very well by Helen Mirren. The script essentially follows the story that almost everyone will know better than I, who have not yet read the book: Prospera, the Duchess of Milan, is expelled from her lands by King Alonso of Naples and her brother Antonio. Accused of witchcraft, she flees with her daughter, Miranda, and manages to reach an island inhabited by a creature, Caliban. Twelve years later, Miranda is a beautiful young woman, of marriageable age, and chance blows again in Prospera's favor when the men who removed her from power board a ship that, by magical arts, sinks in a furious storm, forcing them shipwrecked on her island. The film is pleasant, but it suffers from a major flaw that is common in films with theatrical material, particularly Shakespearean adaptations: it sounds contrived and overly staged when it should sound more natural and realistic. Cinema wants actors not to act, speak or behave as if they were in a theater. If I wanted to see the original play, I would buy a theater ticket. I understand director Julie Taymor's effort to maintain fidelity to the dialogues and source material, but the truth is that she should have made the necessary adaptations, and sought to achieve greater realism and authenticity, both through the dialogues and material given to the actors, as through his personal effort in directing the scenes. The affected modes and complicated dialogues are not suitable for a cinematographic work. With these notes, it's easy to understand how much the cast's efforts were conditioned by the material received. The cast is good, it has several great actors, with proven evidence, but it doesn't manage to give us a truly good final product that corresponds to their merits and talents. As I mentioned, Helen Mirren is the main actress, in the role of Prospera. It was a risky gesture, both for her and for director Taymor, but the truth is that Mirren did a good job and proved to be up to the challenge. Another actor worth mentioning is Djimon Hounsou. In the role of Caliban, the actor showed great physical expression and good vocal modulation. Also, Ben Whishaw leaves us an interesting and well done work, although more contained and heavily supported in CGI. The rest of the cast just do what they really need to do. On the negative side, I would highlight Felicity Jones, for the total absence of presence and charisma, and also Reeve Carney, who is too sugary and idealistic. Technically, the film leaves a lot to be desired, and in many ways it still appears to be an incomplete project. The cinematography is pretty bad: it's incomprehensible why they didn't think of betting on a more vibrant, colorful and spectacular visual, where the CGI gained additional strength and the Hawaiian landscapes were better enjoyed and more impressive! Editing is regular, but the film's pace is still quite slow and sometimes tiring. Although some costumes try to bring to the film an aroma of the Renaissance period, the fact is that the clothes worn by the actors lack any kind of historical realism. There is a lot of green screen in the film, but the visual and sound effects are weak, and the CGI used is amateurish.
Movie Recommendation
Page Eight2011-08-28Johnny is a long-serving MI5 officer. His boss dies suddenly, leaving behind an inexplicable file which threatens the stability of the organisation.More...
Don't Hug Me I'm Scared2012-10-24A disturbing puppet short exploring the concept of creativity.More...
Henry's Crime2010-01-14An aimless man is sent to prison for a crime he did not commit, an ex-con targets the same bank he was sent away for robbing.More...
Cemetery Junction2010-04-14In 1970s England, three blue-collar friends spend their days joking, drinking, fighting and chasing girls. Freddie wants to leave their working-class world but cool, charismatic Bruce and lovable loser Snork are happy with life the way it is. When Freddie gets a new job as a door-to-door salesman and bumps into his old school sweetheart Julie, the gang are forced to make choices that will change their lives for ever.More...
National Geographic: Journey to the Edge of the Universe2008-12-06In one single, epic camera move we journey from Earth's surface to the outermost reaches of the universe on a grand tour of the cosmos, to explore newborn stars, distant planets, black holes and beyond.More...
Lord Jim1965-02-15After being discredited as a coward, a 19th century seaman lives for only one purpose: to redeem himself. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with Sony Pictures Entertainment in 2000.More...
The Bridge2008-06-20A group of German boys is ordered to protect a small bridge in their home village during the waning months of the second world war. Truckloads of defeated, cynical Wehrmacht soldiers flee the approaching American troops, but the boys, full of enthusiasm for the "blood and honor" Nazi ideology, stay to defend the useless bridge.More...
132010-03-12A naive young man assumes a dead man's identity and finds himself embroiled in an underground world of power, violence, and chance where men gamble behind closed doors on the lives of other men.More...
Special Forces2011-11-02Afghanistan. War correspondent Elsa Casanova is taken hostage by the Taliban. Faced with her imminent execution, a Special Forces unit is dispatched to free her. In some of the world’s most breathtaking yet hostile landscapes, a relentless pursuit begins between her kidnappers who have no intention of letting their prey escape them and a group of soldiers who risk their lives in pursuit of their single aim – to bring her home alive. This strong, independent woman and these men of duty are thrown together and forced to confront situations of great danger that inextricably bind them – emotionally, violently and intimately.More...
The Secret Garden1993-08-13A young British girl born and reared in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle. Her uncle is very distant due to the loss of his wife ten years before. Neglected once again, she begins exploring the estate and discovers a garden that has been locked and forgotten. Aided by one of the servants' boys, she begins restoring the garden, and eventually discovers some other secrets of the manor.More...
In the Mouth of Madness1995-02-03An insurance investigator begins discovering the impact a horror writer's books has on his fans is more than inspirational.More...
Infernal Affairs2002-12-12Chan Wing Yan, a young police officer, has been sent undercover as a mole in the local mafia. Lau Kin Ming, a young mafia member, infiltrates the police force. Years later, their older counterparts, Chen Wing Yan and Inspector Lau Kin Ming, respectively, race against time to expose the mole within their midst.More...
Let Me In2010-10-01A bullied young boy befriends a young female vampire who lives in secrecy with her guardian. A remake of the movie “Let The Right One In” which was an adaptation of a book.More...
Captain Phillips2013-10-10The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.More...
Moana2016-10-13In Ancient Polynesia, when a terrible curse incurred by Maui reaches an impetuous Chieftain's daughter's island, she answers the Ocean's call to seek out the demigod to set things right.More...
The Wolf of Wall Street2013-12-25A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography.More...
Inception2010-07-15Cobb, a skilled thief who commits corporate espionage by infiltrating the subconscious of his targets is offered a chance to regain his old life as payment for a task considered to be impossible: "inception", the implantation of another person's idea into a target's subconscious.More...
Parasite2019-05-30All unemployed, Ki-taek's family takes peculiar interest in the wealthy and glamorous Parks for their livelihood until they get entangled in an unexpected incident.More...
Shaun of the Dead2004-04-09Shaun lives a supremely uneventful life, which revolves around his girlfriend, his mother, and, above all, his local pub. This gentle routine is threatened when the dead return to life and make strenuous attempts to snack on ordinary Londoners.More...
Rear Window1954-08-01A wheelchair-bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder.More...
Similar Movies
The Holiday
2006-12-05Two women, one American and one British, swap homes at Christmastime following bad breakups. Each woman finds romance with a local man but realizes that the imminent return home may end the relationship.Copying Beethoven
2006-09-10A fictionalised exploration of Beethoven's life in his final days working on his Ninth Symphony. It is 1824. Beethoven is racing to finish his new symphony. However, it has been years since his last success and he is plagued by deafness, loneliness and personal trauma. A copyist is urgently needed to help the composer. A fictional character is introduced in the form of a young conservatory student and aspiring composer named Anna Holtz. The mercurial Beethoven is skeptical that a woman might become involved in his masterpiece but slowly comes to trust in Anna's assistance and in the end becomes quite fond of her. By the time the piece is performed, her presence in his life is an absolute necessity. Her deep understanding of his work is such that she even corrects mistakes he has made, while her passionate personality opens a door into his private world.Nowhere in Africa
2001-12-11A Jewish woman named Jettel Redlich flees Nazi Germany with her daughter Regina, to join her husband, Walter, on a farm in Kenya. At first, Jettel refuses to adjust to her new circumstances, bringing with her a set of china dishes and an evening gown. While Regina adapts readily to this new world, forming a strong bond with her father's cook, an African named Owuor.When Saturday Comes
1996-03-01Jimmy Muir comes from a typical gritty, northern town where there are only two options: working down the pit or in a factory. But Jimmy has other ideas - he dreams of becoming a professional footballer. Confronted by a bitter and unsupportive father, hard drinking friends and a lifetime of bad habits...has Jimmy the will to achieve his ultimate goal?A Real Young Girl
1999-04-28Bored and restless, Alice spends much of her time lusting after Jim, a local sawmill worker. When not lusting after him, Alice fills the hours with such pursuits as writing her name on a mirror with vaginal secretions and wandering the fields with her underwear around her ankles. And, in true teenaged tradition, she spends a lot of time writing in her diary.Forces of Nature
1999-03-12Ben Holmes, a professional book-jacket blurbologist, is trying to get to Savannah for his wedding. He just barely catches the last plane, but a seagull flies into the engine as the plane is taking off. All later flights are cancelled because of an approaching hurricane, so he is forced to hitch a ride in a Geo Metro with an attractive but eccentric woman named Sara.Signature Move
2017-03-11A secret new romance with Alma forces Zaynab to confront her complicated relationship with her recently widowed mother. In this coming-of-age Muslim melodrama, Zaynab copes by taking up Lucha-style wrestling.The Year of Spectacul...
2018-06-15In the year after graduating college, Izzy struggles to navigate the seemingly incessant failures of adulthood, the reality of a substandard dating pool and a debilitating fear of top-sheets, all in between X-Files marathons. Comically unsuccessful in love over the course the year, including five half-hearted relationships with astoundingly self-centered men, Izzy resigns herself to the support of her mother and sister, who are struggling with their own relationship problems. Seeing herself in them, Izzy gradually gains the confidence to be honest and vulnerable.2 Days in Paris
2007-02-09Marion and Jack try to rekindle their relationship with a visit to Paris, home of Marion's parents — and several of her ex-boyfriends.Pirates of the Caribb...
2011-05-15Captain Jack Sparrow crosses paths with a woman from his past, and he's not sure if it's love — or if she's a ruthless con artist who's using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth. When she forces him aboard the Queen Anne's Revenge, the ship of the formidable pirate Blackbeard, Jack finds himself on an unexpected adventure in which he doesn't know who to fear more: Blackbeard or the woman from his past.Marie Antoinette
2006-05-24The retelling of France’s iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette. From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI at 15 to her reign as queen at 19 and ultimately the fall of Versailles.Children of a Lesser ...
1986-09-13Starting his new job as an instructor at a New England school for the deaf, James Leeds meets Sarah Norman, a young deaf woman who works at the school as a member of the custodial staff. In spite of Sarah's withdrawn emotional state, a romance slowly develops between the pair.FC Venus
2006-04-26Anna is persuaded by her boyfriend Paul to move from Berlin to his home town of Imma. What the notorious soccer hater doesn't know, however, is that joining his best friend Steffen's law firm is just a pretext. In reality, Paul and his buddies are there to save the soccer club he co-founded, Eintracht Imma 95, from relegation. Anna soon realizes that the players' wives have nothing to say to their soccer junkies: Artificial turf in the bedroom, Effenberg bedding and weekends on the soccer pitch. When she finds out the real reason for the move, she mobilizes her fellow sufferers to counter-attack after a fierce bout of frustration and challenges Paul and his friends to the ultimate duel on the soccer pitch. The bet is on: women against men. If the women win, soccer is over - and Paul has to go back to Berlin with Anna. Forever. If the men win, there will be no more complaining.Or (My Treasure)
2004-09-09Or shoulders a lot: she's 17 or 18, a student, works evenings at a restaurant, recycles cans and bottles for cash, and tries to keep her mother Ruthie from returning to streetwalking in Tel Aviv. Ruthie calls Or "my treasure," but Ruthie is a burden. She's just out of hospital, weak, and Or has found her a job as a house cleaner. The call of the quick money on the street is tough for Ruthie to ignore. Or's emotions roil further when the mother of the youth she's in love with comes to the flat to warn her off. With love fading and Ruthie perhaps beyond help, Or's choices narrow.Away from Her
2007-05-04Fiona and Grant have been married for nearly 50 years. They have to face the fact that Fiona’s absent-mindedness is a symptom of Alzheimer’s disease. She must go to a specialized nursing home, where she slowly forgets Grant and turns her affection to Aubrey, another patient in the home.11’09”01—September 11...
2002-09-04Filmmakers from all over the world provide short films – each of which is eleven minutes, nine seconds, and one frame of film in length – that offer differing perspectives on the 9/11 terrorist attacks.Shakespeare in Love
1998-12-11Young Shakespeare is forced to stage his latest comedy, "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter," before it's even written. When a lovely noblewoman auditions for a role, they fall into forbidden love -- and his play finds a new life (and title). As their relationship progresses, Shakespeare's comedy soon transforms into tragedy.Me and My Sister
2004-11-21Louise, who has just written a novel, comes to Paris to meet with a potential publisher. While in the city, she stays with her older sister, Martine, who in many ways is the exact opposite of Louise: she lives in a fashionable neighborhood, is cold to others, and has snobby friends, while Louise lives in a small town and is thoroughly unpretentious. Louise's apparent happiness -- and similarities to their mother -- gradually gets on Martine's nerves.Jamila and the Presid...
2009-04-30Jamila is a prostitute serving a life sentence behind bars. She surrenders herself to the authorities after admitting she killed a high-ranking minister, and refuses to be represented by any lawyer or request a plea to ease her sentence.HannaHannaH
2007-05-13Hannah, the headstrong rebel of seven siblings, tries to avoid the preparations for her parent's wedding anniversary, but her charming brand-new lover Victor sort of drags her along, and soon proves an ideal son-in-law, which arouses mixed feelings in her. The sister in law who for years tries to fit in but always felt ignored gets a fit because Victor is immediately invited to chip in and join the anniversary river cruise, so they take over the organization from her. Yet when he confides in her the bunch is miserable at communicating, she claims he can't judge after just one evening and seems suddenly uncertain whether to stay with Victor who proves quite patient and understanding...