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LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST review
The world has given very little thought to a film that
was made with so much heart that I am left
wondering... Why?
Miramax slithered LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST out
onto a handful of screens with zero fanfare and zero
buzz.
I didn’t even know it was playing locally. Today, I
woke up to hear Dad say, “Ya wanna go to that
talking train movie?”
I stared at him... Wondered how much it would cost
to place him in one of those full care places... you
know where they roll the old people on their sides
and wipe them... where they wheel them in a room to
play chess with their own ghosts?
“Umm, No,” I say in an absolute stern, no way in hell,
tone. I reached for the movie listings today and I’m
flipping through them... COYOTE UGLY....
NUTTY PROFESSOR 2.... THE
REPLACEMENTS... and on and on... Nothing that
really made me go... Ew, Let’s see that.
So then I look at the theater listings... perhaps there is
something that doesn’t have it’s poster plastered with
quotes.. and that is when I saw LOVE’S LABOUR’S
LOST... playing on the smallest most hidden away,
terrible sound and tiny screen in Austin.
We had an hour to get to the theater, drive in our
un-air conditioned beast of a car through the 103
degree heat... I don’t know if it’s paint is peeling or
my skin, but this is damn near unbearable.
As we hop in the car, the instant heat waves begin
pouring off my cheeks.... I can’t wait to get in the
theater... an oasis of cool chilled air, a good icy
drink.... and hopefully a decent film.
As Father Geek and I sat there before the movie, we
began talking about the modern movie musical....
How they are often times a series of quick shots,
waist up of the actors, with insert footage of a quarter
second of dance.
The trailers pour through... nothing of note....
Then the film began...
“Stanley Donen and Martin Scorsese presents:”
Hmmmmm, now I really don’t know what Scorsese
had to do with this movie... But... I have an idea that
Stanley Donen and Kenneth Branagh’s time they
spent together had to do with a great deal of silence
on the part of Branagh.
The musical interludes in LOVE’S LABOUR’S
LOST are a splendid blending of highlight reels of
the 30’s, 40’s and 50’s musical numbers. The use of
color is very much in complete keeping of the Stanley
Donen musicals of the Fifties.... But more important
than the choreography of the dancers... was the
choreography of the camera. You see...unlike 95% of
the modern movie musicals.... the camera knows to
keep the performers in frame... head to toe for long
takes...
This was taught to every musical director worth their
salt by Fred Astaire. And it is a lesson that should
also be kept close to the heart of anyone wanting to
do martial arts or swordfighting on screen.
I had read somewhere, that someone was reminded of
James Cagney in YANKEE DOODLE DANDY
when they saw Branagh’s performance in this film,
and I would have to nix that. Actually... it reminds
me more of his performance in FOOTLIGHT
PARADE.
You see... In YANKEE DOODLE DANDY, Cagney
was at the height of his ability and performing skills...
His George M Cohan was a textured and deeply
resonant character... and his dancing and singing were
iconic beyond any and all belief. FOOTLIGHT
PARADE (one of my top 20 films) he was rougher
around the edges... His dancing and singing not quite
in top form yet, but bustling from the barely
contained enthusiasm that he pounded every tap and
sung every note. Branagh falls just shy of that. Just
barely.
Kenneth is more graceful... less sugar more sedate.
He’s mixing a bit more Astaire... that... ‘oh this is
soooo easy’ look upon his brow. Nothing takes an
effort... you just... gliiiiide.
Branagh is the perfect performer in this film. Noone
is as well balanced as he in singing, dancing and
emoting the very essence of his character in both
while also nailing to the letter the Shakespearean
dialogue and making it feel like a really true tongue
that people speak. Effortlessly.
Now... at this stage of the game, you should be made
aware this is not a classic A musical. This is very
much a classic B musical. This is not SINGING IN
THE RAIN or AN AMERICAN IN PARIS or TOP
HAT or 42ND STREET or any of those.... This is
closer to SILK STOCKINGS or WONDER BAR...
almost exactly at the level of WONDER BAR.
Now... I love WONDER BAR. But it is almost
completely unknown to the world. The musical
numbers are all solid... with no truly outstanding
number with the exception of the whip dance... In
WONDER BAR... it was a strange musical mixing of
a crime/film noir type aesthetic (pre-film noir
though). Imagine if in CASABLANCA... every 9
minutes there was a musical interlude with full blown
dancing and singing by everyone including Rick.
In LOVE’S LABOUR’S LOST... just as in
WONDER BAR, the musical has been applied to a
genre that... well, it hadn’t been placed in before... the
Shakespearean world. The result? Well, something
refreshing and different.
I have an ear for Shakespeare. I adore his verses and
his rhymes... his acute play on dialogue and his quips.
And the insertion of the songs tend to flow straight
out of the dialogue. At first it feels like quite a bit of
a jar... but by the second transition, it’s simply the
style of the film.
But make no bones about this.... THIS IS A
MUSICAL. And as a lover of the genre, I can tell
you this is not a bad one. It is not a great one. It is a
good one. When a musical is not a great musical, I
pull up my list of criteria with which I judge all
musicals.
1. How are the songs?
answer: These songs are all classics, with new
arrangements. They are of course great songs, not
being performed in their greatest incarnation... though
I would argue strongly that YOU CAN’T TAKE
THAT AWAY FROM ME... might very well be the
best in both performance and on-screen depiction in
terms of serving the dramatics of the story, that I have
ever seen or heard.
2. How are the dance numbers?
Answer: I loved them. These are not the sheer
acrobatics of the Gene Kelly or Nicholas Brothers
variety... this is the dance of Astaire and the
choreography of the fifties. Each dance number
punched a nostalgia button for me. And none of the
performers were bad... but... what I loved... was that
they seemed like real people under the magical spell
of a musical. You see... for me, the reason I prefer
FOOTLIGHT PARADE over 42nd Street is that... in
FOOTLIGHT... they seemed like real honest people
celebrating the joy of singing and dancing in front of
an audience... and not self serious performers. Here...
the dance is birthed out of a joy and an exhilaration
for living and loving. What better reason than to sing
and dance?
3. Is there one number that I won’t shake?
Answer: Yes, that You Can’t Take That Away From
Me.... ohmygod, I love that number. From the
building side, to the Casablanca lift off... I loved it.
The dramatics of the moment sent shivers... The
intonations and sincerity in Branagh’s eyes, and the
sad sort of smile... Wonderful. I loved it. BRAVO.
And that’s it. In a musical, I am not looking at acting
or dialogue or story. I’m looking at the numbers...
It’s sort of like a kung fu movie or a swashbuckler...
Now... if perchance, the acting and the performances
soar and are brilliant... than by Jove, you have a
classic. All of a sudden you’ve been sold the entire
bill of goods and you are ecstatic.
Here... almost everything works... the only flaws were
in the casting of Alicia Silverstone and Matt Lillard.
Both just simply do not do the dialogue justice. It’s
just not there for them. They both look divine
dancing. Lillard is the best dancing physique in the
film, in a tux the guy looks built to be an Astaire
clone.... However... when Alicia is asked to perform
a long Shakespearean monologue... her tortured
ruptured Stallone lips contort and quiver into their
own spasm of distraction... so much so that you are
left staring at those lips wondering... does she know
they do that? In HOLLOW MAN recently you see
Elizabeth Shue being kissed by the Invisible Man and
suddenly you understand how Alicia’s mouth works...
there is a cruel invisible specter screwing with her
lips while she speaks... and nobody notices it... until it
is displayed on screen. And Lillard... His one level
of performance is to smile as if told he gets to tickle
the bound girl on the table till she wees herself.
That’s it. But when trapped into singing and
dancing... he’s fine... as is Alicia... But Shakespeare?
It’s like Keanu in MUCH ADO ABOUT
NOTHING... sigh... tragic casting.
Instead, the best metaphor I can think of for LOVE’S
LABOUR’S LOST is this:
I just returned from Spain where the most liquid I
could order came in 10 ounce glasses or less. Upon
returning, I went immediately to a restaurant in town
and had a gigantic never empty glass of Iced Tea.
Love’s Labour’s Lost is that glass of Iced Tea.
Totally and completely refreshing.
The reason this review is sooooooo late in coming is that the film has just recently opened in Austin, and Miramax had not arranged a screening for me to see it in advance. Though they might very well of had a press screening... I was out of the country and not in Austin for a great deal of time in the last 30 days. That is all...
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Stuff like this. Thanks, Harry. If this movie had come anywhere near me I would most certainly have gone to see it. Maybe Miramax can send it back to wide release this fall, because it sounds like it got shortchanged. I love musicals, I love Gershwin (at least a couple of his tunes in here, right?), and (shoot me) I love Branaugh's Shakespeare films. Anyway, glad to see in between all the "Snatch" gushing and Spiderman rumors, we can get an informed comparison of "Love's Labor Lost" to classic studio musicals.. pretty damn cool.
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Aug 14, 2000 11:37:54 PM CDT
Harry, maybe it would have helped to post your review: BEFORE TH
by scenestealer
INSTEAD OF LETTING IT DIE, THEN GIVING IT SUPPORT. I don't even see your point in reviewing it now. Unless you want to increase video rentals and DVD purchases.
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After his brilliant portrayal of Pollux Troy in Face/Off I have been folowing Nivola. I heard he was in this movie which is the only reason why I paid a little attention to it and how it did with critics. I now am excited for Jurassic Park 3 for two reasons. One William Macy is in it and now Alexandro Nivola is in it. I will continue to pay attention to anything Nivola does. He is a great unknown actor!
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Aug 14, 2000 11:47:53 PM CDT
Coyote Ugly and The Replacements are pretty decent flicks!!!
by darius25
Now, please hear me out, I AM NOT ON CRACK!!! With CU, you get what you paid for - nice booty action (although no skin), a sappy yet decent story, and some pretty good music. Nothing more, nothing less. With Replacements, you get some exciting football action and some pretty good comedy. Again, not the best, but not disappointing either. Both of these movies did not leave a sour taste of disappointment in my mouth. With Hollow Man, Nutty 2, What Shits Beneath, The Perfect Bore, etc..., I left the theatre wanting to kill the next person I see (not really but you get the point). With CU and Replacements, I actually felt I got my money's worth. In a summer full of disappointments, it seems fitting that the most underachieving movies provide the best entertainment. Bring on The Cell BABY!!
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He JUST saw the movie. Didn't you read the part stating he skipped Nutty and The Replacements to go see LLL? I will wait for the video to see LLL.
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Aug 15, 2000 12:09:41 AM CDT
Yes, I agree. It's a fine flick. But I saw it THREE MONTHS AGO
by lenny nero
I realize that indpendent shit in Austin comes out much later than here in Berkeley and SF, but jeez man, three months? This is like your RUN LOLA RUN review. Just had to say my peace. Lenny Nero has spoken.
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I, like Harry, woke up and looked at the movie listings this morning to find something to see on my day off. After looking for about 30 minutes to find something (even if I had to drive 30 miles or more) I could not find a damn thing to see. I couldn't even find something to see that I thought was good enough to see again. I live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth metroplex where we have more screens per capita than any other metroplex in America and I couldn't find a damn thing! I would have even gone to see "Gladiator" again had it been playing in the early afternoon. The only showing I found for it was at 9pm at a theater 25 miles away. Fuck Hollywood!
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I wanted to catch "Loves Labours Lost" months ago but I guess it never came to Kansas City. Now it looks like I'll have to wait for the video. That sucks. The best place to see a musical is on the big screen. Along with westerns, musicals (the old style) are the genre that I miss most. Now all we get are MTV-style stuff. I want to see the next Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly. I've never seen an Astaire film that I didn't love. When I heard that Branagh was using old standards for LLL I was excited. I thought Woody Allen did a great job with that in "Everyone Says I Love You" (my fave Allen flick) and I wanted to see how Branagh handles the musical format. Hopefully LLL will get a wider release and I'll be able to catch it on the big screen (where all movies should be seen). As for "Coyote Ugly," I've seen it twice and really enjoyed it. It's trash with no redeeming quality but if you go in knowing that and give yourself over you'll have a good time.
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Seriously...what's happened to this guy? He used to be on top of the world, directing classic flicks like "Henry V" and "Dead Again." In his heyday, the guy
was even compared to Welles and Hitchcock. I love the energy and enthusiasm Branagh still has. "Hamlet," though, was a well-intentioned mess...sporadically brilliant (was anybody else as amazed by Heston in this flick as I was?)...and I also enjoyed a few of Branagh's scenes. But altogether, I felt the stress Branagh was under weighed both him and the movie down. And now "love's labour's lost" gets no attention and no respect. And you know it's bad when even Branagh's default Shakespeare movie mechanism fails him. Will he regain the status he once had? Here's hoping. -
Aug 15, 2000 3:37:25 AM CDT
Thanks for the review Harry but I think I will wait for Moulin R
by geekbasher 3.0
This came and went in a blink of an eye here in San Diego, the reviews were not too kind...maybe on video....GO SEE COYOTE UGLY HARRY I WANT TO READ YER REVIEW! BETCHA you'll LIKE IT!!!
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Try living in the middle of the ocean, and then see how many movie's you can see, not to mention that eveytime McDonalds has a promational give away, they mention a free trip to hawaii, aghhh the irony as for the movie, i'll see it on video i have no other choice. Bonnie out
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Aug 15, 2000 12:13:23 PM CDT
HEY, AN ACTUAL REVIEW OF THE MOVIE, NOT WHAT YOU ATE OR WHERE YO
by dick dickman
Alright Harry. A review of the movie! It actually gave me joy to read it. Insight and technical review and everything. You surprise me oh fat one. See ehat you can do when youre not on a plane or on a ship or up some studios ass! Good for you. Have a donut.
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Now, folk... there is a review that's worthy of an acquantince of Mr. Ebert. As a fan of Period Pieces from "The Greatest Generation" (20's, 30's and 40's) I really have high hopes for this film and I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thing is, this can't be a true period piece with out a good Fedora (and a bullwhip coiled on the side... and a leather jacket) and lots of smoking and drinking. Is this one of those movies where I'm going to want to leave my flask of Jim Beam at home, or am I going to need it to get through the dull parts?
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i saw "love's labours lost" and was utterly charmed by it, despite it's uneven "aren't we cute" attitude. the cinematography was a dead-on impression of 1930s musicals and branagh, essentially reprising his performance as benedick in "much ado about nothing", is definately in his element. so much so, that you wish he hadn't cut some of the dialogue just so you could hear him speak it.
i was indifferent to silverstone until her final monologue where i thought she did an admirable job. nivola is forgettable. branagh stalwarts geraldine macewan, timothy spall and richard briers are obviously having the most fun.
i'm a theatre director who has tackled more than my share of shakespeare, and i can't help but be impressed with branagh's work....particularly "henry V" and "much ado about nothing", and thought this film fell somewhere between them and the tedious "hamlet."
i certainly hope he isn't on the "welles train" and in danger of peaking at 25 and ballooning before our eyes. -
Aug 15, 2000 4:59:24 PM CDT
Steve Martin's Pennies From Heaven - that was a modern take on c
by fatal discharge
It was neglected too but I love that film. The way the dazzling musical numbers contrast with the bleak times of people living in the Depression is brilliant. If you want to see Steve Martin and Christopher Walken show off their amazing dance steps (yes they had both studied dance in their past), rush now and rent it. It's a tragedy that they both haven't had a chance to use those skills again, although Martin was hilarious in the great non-dancing musical LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS. Oh and I'm also looking forward to MOULIN ROUGE with Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor. I can see where the director of ROMEO + JULIET can use the style of that film to make an awesome musical.
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If you thought Hamlet was "tedious", then go back to watching WWF Smackdown and leave such classic films to the grown ups.
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I saw Matthew Lillard on stage in London earlier this year in a play by Neil LaBute and he was breathtakingly good, literally spell-binding. And a nice friendly guy too. I agree he was one-dimensional in Love's Labours Lost but that must have been the director's fault, must have been what he asked for. Believe me he can do dimensions.
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I dunno, I actually kind of liked this one too, and I can't stand Branaugh's flicks, period. I saw this at a sneak wayyyyyy back in the fall of '99, even sent Harry a positive review, which HE DIDN'T POST! (The bastard, why do I even bother?) The reason, Miramax didn't really release this? Well, at the screening I was at, about half the audience left and the ones that stayed seemed pretty united in hating it. Every critic in America panned it. Maybe it was Alicia Silverstone's singing(?!) voice. Still, it had just the right amount of goofy-as-all-hell charm and campy-hambone schtick to make it fun for me. The thing is, ALL of Branaugh's film's have seemed this way to me, especially the serious ones. At least in LLL, the cap fit. If you like Gershwin, Cole Porter, Buzby Berkely and all that, you should enjoy this.
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LLL is like drinking champagne: sweet, fizzy, and ephemeral. I enjoyed the movie, although i'm not sure it's worth repeat viewings. It succeeds as a period piece - a 1930's musical plus news reels - and as a Shakespeare film. I am glad to find a good review of it.
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"I loved Branagh's Hamlet until the last scene WHERE HE HURLED A RAPIER LIKE A JAVELIN INTO CLAUDIUS FROM THE BALCONY!! That was the fakest thing I had ever seen in my life. I stared at the screen in stunned disbelief at the utter absurdity of that scene, struck speechless by it's stupidity." - heh, wheres your suspension of disbelief???
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"The reason this review is sooooooo late in coming is that the film has just recently opened in Austin, and Miramax had not arranged a screening for me to see it in advance."
Ahhhh, you poor fat fuck living in your daddies basement. Boohoo!
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