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A Midwinter's Tale (1995)
Producer/Director/Writer: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Michael Maloney, Richard Briers, Hetta Charnley, Joan Collins
Genre: Intelligent Witty Comedy
Synopsis (no spoilers): After Joe looses an acting job he decides to help his sister save an old abandoned church in the British countryside by putting on a small theater play of Hamlet in the church. The play is done on a shoe string budget and funded soley by him. He assembles a cast of talented but quirky, non working actors. They bring their own charm and problems to the 'profit sharing' play. The problem is that not many in the small village of Hope are expected to come to their Christmas day play, so the down and out actors might really be down and out for Christmas.
Review: I want to give an accurate impression of this film, so:
First you should know it's not a Christmas film even though it's set at Christmas time. There's no Christmas themes or message or even decorations.
It's genre is comedy but it's not a silly farce or a screwball comedy. That's why I called it an 'intelligent witty comedy'. The film isn't about laughs. It's more of an insightful look at the back stage production of a tiny community play done in a small community.
It's black & white, but this isn't an old film. Oh sure it has Joan Collins, but it's not from the 1950s, it was made in 1995. I loved the choice of black & white as it puts the emphasis on the characters.
This film is mainly about getting to know the group of stage actors and following theme through their journeys. Their quite the colorful lot too!
Producer/Director/Writer: Kenneth Branagh
Stars: Michael Maloney, Richard Briers, Hetta Charnley, Joan Collins
Genre: Intelligent Witty Comedy
Synopsis (no spoilers): After Joe looses an acting job he decides to help his sister save an old abandoned church in the British countryside by putting on a small theater play of Hamlet in the church. The play is done on a shoe string budget and funded soley by him. He assembles a cast of talented but quirky, non working actors. They bring their own charm and problems to the 'profit sharing' play. The problem is that not many in the small village of Hope are expected to come to their Christmas day play, so the down and out actors might really be down and out for Christmas.
Review: I want to give an accurate impression of this film, so:
First you should know it's not a Christmas film even though it's set at Christmas time. There's no Christmas themes or message or even decorations.
It's genre is comedy but it's not a silly farce or a screwball comedy. That's why I called it an 'intelligent witty comedy'. The film isn't about laughs. It's more of an insightful look at the back stage production of a tiny community play done in a small community.
It's black & white, but this isn't an old film. Oh sure it has Joan Collins, but it's not from the 1950s, it was made in 1995. I loved the choice of black & white as it puts the emphasis on the characters.
This film is mainly about getting to know the group of stage actors and following theme through their journeys. Their quite the colorful lot too!
Last Supper
In an ironic twist, the actors look in at themselves doing Hamlet.Kenneth Branagh produced, directed and wrote A Midwinter's Tale. Like Joe the actor who pays for the production of Hamlet and then profit shares any of the money it makes with the actors...Kenneth Branagh did the same thing...with his money from his movie Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) he funded and profit shared with the cast of A Midwinter's Tale. Which makes this film, a film within itself.
Did I like it? Yes! I had never heard of this film and just grabbed it off the library selves, I'm glad I did! This is a really neat, little film that's well worth spending 99 minutes to watch.