After closing the Venice Film Festival and serving as the “Centerpiece Film” at the New York Film Festival, Julie Taymor’s big-screen adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest is not exactly getting very good marks.
Guy Lodge at In Contention called it “murky, lunk-headed аnd signally dull.” The Playlist sums it up with a one sentence second paragraph saying, “The Tempest is bad. Like, really, really bad.” At Cinema Blend Katey Rich says, “Taymor presents Shakespeare’s plot like a high school teacher insisting it all has meaning, dammit, and slathers on visuals and costumes as if it will add the verve the story lacks.” Finally, Slant calls it “Shakespeare for Dummies.”
Yikes! Is there still time for reshoots prior to its December 10 release?
All that said, the first trailer for the film has just been released over at Apple, previewing the story of the sorcerer Prospero, which Taymor bends genders, turning him into the sorceress Prospera (Helen Mirren) and focuses on her journey through vengeance to forgiveness as she reigns over a magical island, cares for her young daughter, Miranda, and unleashes her powers against shipwrecked enemies in this exciting, masterly mix of romance, tragicomedy and the supernatural.
Along with Mirren the film co-stars Russell Brand, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou, David Strathairn, Chris Cooper, Alan Cumming, Ben Whishaw, Reeve Carney, Felicity Jones and Tom Conti.
While earlier one would have thought this may be an Oscar contender, but with the buzz this one is getting it’s hard to continue that thought. Give the trailer a watch directly below and see what you think.
