LOOKING FOR RICHARD (1996) A Film Review by Nick Schaden Copyright 1997 Nick Schaden
In "Looking For Richard", director Al Pacino successfully captivates "Richard III" - one of Shakespeare's most famous plays - to the screen. Yes, while many of you out there are probably now emitting an audible yawn from your mouths, listen closely. This isn't just the play reenacted on the big screen ("Julius Caesar"), nor a hip 20th century spin on it ("Romeo & Juliet"). Instead Pacino vouches for a fresh new viewpoint, via documentary. The movie essentially shows the making of the play itself, with actual scenes from the play (in addition to quick interviews with famous actors such as "Kevin Kline") spruced in for flavor throughout.
What makes "Looking For Richard" so great? Al Pacino realizes that 90% of the American public doesn't understand and couldn't care less about Shakespeare's plays. Thus, to play the major roles (Richard III,Clarence,Buckingham,Lady Anne) he recruits famous top name actors, such as Alec Baldwin, Kevin Spacey, Winona Ryder, and of course, Al Pacino himself. In addition, Pacino narrates the documentary himself, carefully explaining the play each step of the way, so we understand at all times what's going on (a common pitfall with other Shakespeare movies). Furthermore, the documentary format makes for a fresh, fun movie, with interesting discussions and interviews to keep the audiences attention. All these elements make for a movie that's entertaining even for Shakespeare haters.
However, for you Shakespeare buffs a likely question is: "Is the actual PLAY good?". Happily, with the high quality of actors in the roles and the wonderful setting, I can say a resounding "yes". The documentary format never hinders what's going on in the play, and rather strengthens it.
However, as with nearly all movies, "Looking For Richard" has it's problems. Ironically, the largest problem is also it's largest strength: the documentary format. While the format is fun, at times it can be slightly confusing to the audience. All in all however, "Looking For Richard" is a great movie, not just for Shakespeare fans, but for everyone.
Nick's Rating: +3 (recommended)
*** Movie rated from -4 (worst) to +4 (best), 0 = average movie ***
-- Nick Schaden Send your comments to: cpunut@uslink.net See all of Nick's reviews at: http://uslink.net/~cpunut/movies.html
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