Michael Almareyda's Hamlet
been used in the form of heroes, but here he casts a strong presence as corporate evil. The blank smile becomes chilling, the reassuring voice a lie. Underneath that jutting chin and the boy scout face is a villain and a coward, as seen in the best acting moment of the film during his prayer, here seen in the back of a limo being driven by Hamlet through Times Square, an unseen gun trained at his head. If this film doesn't jump start his career, it will be a crime.
Of course, every single image in this film is beautifully shot by cinematographer John de Borman (and not Almareyda's usual brilliant shooter, Jim Denault.) These crisp, vibrant, colorful images are matched by the strong, intense score by Carter Burwell, which alternates between violent poundings of what sound like swords against a techno backdrop and the lulls of melancholy strings.
I'm singing praises for this film, even if the final swordfight on the top of a skyscraper felt a little corny and too reminiscent of Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, but it does have one major, even unforgivable flaw. Ethan Hawke's Hamlet is basically a rehash of his character from Reality Bites, a pouty Gen Xer who seems neither intelligent nor vibrant.
Hamlet actually seems a lot like the guy who wrote Ethan Hawke's novel - and that's not a guy you want to be around. There are so many scenes where Hamlet's voice over sounds whiny, petulant and annoying, and Hawke's performance feels flat. The text goes to mush in his hands.
Sadly, in a movie adaptation of Hamlet, no matter how skillfully conceived and crafted, if you don't have a strong actor in this role, much of the movie sinks. I would have much preferred Live Schrieber, who here offers a layered and subtle interpretation of Laeretes, and played the title role at the Public Theater in 1999. Schrieber's handful of scenes blow Hawke off the screen entirely - but is Laeretes supposed to be a more complex character than the confused Hamlet?
Nonetheless, I strongly recommend that those who enjoy the medium of experimental cinema to try to find new means of storytelling - and those who feel they've had it up to here with another version of Hamlet (i.e., "Oh, jeez, not ANOTHER one,") but want to be refreshed - and those who have been following Almareyda's body of work waiting for him
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