While the Japanese setting seems like more of a gimmick than anything, this 2006 adaptation of As You Like It is treated much too harshly in my opinion.
Bryce Dallas is charming and funny as Rosalind, while David Oyelowo is sweet and hilarious as Orlando. The two have excellent chemistry. Romola Garai and Alfred Molina are great as as Celia and Touchstone, the two funniest characters in this version. And Brian Blessed, well, he's always excellent and here he gets the chance to wear samurai armor in the opening. About my only complaint cast-wise is Kevin Kline as Jacques; he does not leave the impact he should and disappears into the forest scenery.
The settings and costumes are beautiful, as to be expected from a Branagh Shakespeare production. The comedy is well-done altogether, though once the film is over, it does not leave the impression it should. I don't know, it's missing something that the 1979 Helen Mirren version had. Maybe it's because this version cuts so much of the material out in an attempt to make it more accessible to a mainstream (and presumably young) audience. Worth watching though.
Bryce Dallas is charming and funny as Rosalind, while David Oyelowo is sweet and hilarious as Orlando. The two have excellent chemistry. Romola Garai and Alfred Molina are great as as Celia and Touchstone, the two funniest characters in this version. And Brian Blessed, well, he's always excellent and here he gets the chance to wear samurai armor in the opening. About my only complaint cast-wise is Kevin Kline as Jacques; he does not leave the impact he should and disappears into the forest scenery.
The settings and costumes are beautiful, as to be expected from a Branagh Shakespeare production. The comedy is well-done altogether, though once the film is over, it does not leave the impression it should. I don't know, it's missing something that the 1979 Helen Mirren version had. Maybe it's because this version cuts so much of the material out in an attempt to make it more accessible to a mainstream (and presumably young) audience. Worth watching though.