Thanks to a tip from one our Twitter followers (thanks!), we’ve been pointed in the direction of a new still from Julie Taymor’s delayed and highly anticipated Shakespeare adaptation “The Tempest.”
Posted on Alan Cumming’s official site, the still gives us our first look at Chris Cooper, David Straitharn and Cumming in the film, and a new look at Helen Mirren. The film boasts an incredible cast that also includes Tom Conti, Ben Whishaw, Reeve Carney, Felicity Jones, Djimon Hounsou, Alfred Molina and Russell Brand.
Whatever you might have thought of Taymor’s previous films — “Frida,” “Titus” and “Across The Universe” — it can’t be denied that her works are visual wonders. “Titus” was a fantastic take on Shakespeare that shook the typically stodgy, refined productions that usually mark adaptations of his work and it looks like we’re going to see a similarly creative take here.
Temporarily left in limbo after Miramax shuttered last year, Disney has picked up the film and has slotted it for a December release.
I thought "Frida" and "Titus" were wonderful, and that and "Across The Universe" was one of the worst films I had seen. But I'm pretty excited about Tempest.
Disney would be in their right mind to either shelve this forever or dump it direct to video. I was in a market screening in Cannes that began with about 20-25 acquisitions executives and by the time I walked out some 40 minutes into the film (just after an incomprehensible Russell Brand got under a blanket with fish-handed Djimon Hounsou and Alfred Molina stumbled around a sand dune drunk and singing), there were about 6 or 7 people left in the room. It was an unwatchable disaster, and the only reason I stayed that long was because I was so stunned that there seemed to be nothing redeemable in it at all. Shakespeare is rolling over in his grave. So those reading at home can quantify my opinion, I thought TITUS was fascinating, visually stunning and wonderfully performed; FRIDA was average at best w/ occasional flurries of visual genius; her theatre work has been lately undercooked and repetitive (though I would never argue against the technical accomplishments of "Lion King" being her crowning achievement); and found ACROSS THE UNIVERSE to be woefully tired, visually obnoxious and nothing more than a trite reminder that The Beatles wrote really some great pop songs.
As you might guess from above, TITUS is my favorite of her work so I had high expectations that this would be a similar treatment for TEMPEST, which has never been a favorite of Shakespeare for me anyhow. Unfortunately, it was all half-though out style and absolutely no substance and the only "revolutionary" thing you could say about it was that it cast and then wasted the incomparable Helen Mirren.