What dooms this Hamlet to mediocrity is the quality of the acting, especially in the leads, and the general slowness and turgidity of the proceedings.
Comment
10/30/01
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Hamlet (2000)
56
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:84
Fresh:47
Rotten:37
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Stiff performances fail to produce any tension onscreen.
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Ethan Hawke stars in this modern update of Shakespeare's classic play. He portrays a young filmmaker in New York City who struggles to gain power of his deceased father's company, even as the new... [More]
Starring: Ethan Hawke, Julia Stiles, Kyle MacLachlan, Diane Venora
Director: Michael Almereyda
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Reviews for Hamlet
The acting is sketchy.
10/30/01
By equating the garish feudalism of the play's original setting with the megalopolis of today's New York, [Almereyda is] at least on the right track. The problem is, it's just about his only track.
10/30/01
Top CriticIf you're looking for a unique and modernized version of a timeless classic, then this Hamlet is the thing.
10/30/01
… it launches Shakespeare into the 21st century without sacrificing his timeless appeal.
10/24/01
A perfect example of how a director with real vision can liberate the Bard for the times
10/22/01
Miramax shouldn't be encouraged to do more along these lines by watching it anywhere but at home. Double feature with Strange Brew & see if anything looks familiar.
06/15/01
Just not quite daring or spectacular enough.
06/12/01
Hawke is very trying as he spouts Shakespeare's 16th-century wisdom in the setting of 21st century New York in this Hamlet.
03/12/01
Almereyda has pulled off a formidable coup: He's made Shakespeare come alive for contemporary audiences of all ages, especially young people.
03/12/01
Top CriticA mostly well-acted piece that falters only slightly because of a couple of wrongheaded moves.
03/09/01
A moody and compelling update of Shakespeare's classic.
03/09/01
Top CriticThis sort of contemporizing is useful as a commentary both on Hamlet and our society.
03/08/01
If you're more adventurous and view the great 400-year-old Shakespeare works as platforms for reinterpretation and experimentation, this Hamlet with Ethan Hawke fascinates at nearly every turn.
03/08/01
Decent enough for a film whose dialogue was mostly Greek to me, this movie scores points on style and acting, but ultimately runs too long, features one too many monologues and just completely lost me in the end.
03/08/01
It may work only in fits -- as an experiment usually does -- but you also can't deny that this is a true, fresh adaptation.
03/08/01
Hamlet offers a valuable meta-comment on the role of the visual media with regards to the representation of the self.
03/08/01
Instead of being a companion to Baz Luhrmann's Romeo And Juliet (1996) , this can be filed under wasted opportunities.
03/08/01
The play's dreariness and Hamlet's feelings of isolation and inaction are powerfully conveyed in what is truly a remarkable film.
03/08/01
So poorly produced and directed that there would be serious doubt that the cast speaks English if it were not made up of such well- known and accomplished actors.
03/08/01
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