Proudest Monkeys - A Midsummer Nights Dream Review

Starring: Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer
Director: Michael Hoffman
Genre: Comedy
Year: 1999
Rating: 3 / 5

The best laid plans of mice and men... Attempting to seize upon the recent popularity of William Shakespeare, director Michael Hoffman offers his version of one of the bard’s classics, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Blessed with a gifted cast, including stage veteran Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Rupert Everett, Hoffman has the opportunity to deliver a truly memorable film. However, the same exceptional literary basis which affords the film this opportunity prevents it from be a truly magnificent one. Hoffman’s Midsummer is left as an entertaining diversion, including a raucous finale, but it falls somewhat short in term’s of bringing Shakespeare’s magic to life.

Kevin Kline, who entered the acting fray after seeing Laurence Olivier in Shakespeare’s Othello, stars as Nick Bottom, one of the legendary writer’s more humorous characters. It seems that Nick, an unhappily married flirt in this adaptation, is hoping that his ragtag bunch of would-be actors can gain an audience with the Duke (David Strathairn). This motley crew, led by British veteran Roger Rees, is quite an entertaining sideshow to the film’s main act. That portion centers around Hermia (Anna Friel), who has the affections of two men - Demetrius (Christian Bale) and Lysander (Dominic West) - but loves only one. Meanwhile, her best friend Helena (Calista Flockhart) loves Demetrius, who is unwilling to accept that Hermia does not love him. Of course, Demetrius is the husband of choice for Hermia’s father, and so Hermia and Lysander conspire to run away together into the woods.

Into this fray pop the sprites of the forest, who appear to take great delight in taunting and torturing (in an amusing way) the mortals of the world. Oberon (a rather sly Rupert Everett) desires the affections of the luminous Titiana (Michelle Pfeiffer), yet she seems unwilling to accede to his whims. Concocting a scheme to poke some fun at her, Oberon enlists the help of his trusty aid Puck (Stanley Tucci). Oberon happens to know the location of some magic dust, left over from one of Cupid’s lost arrows, which will cause those sprinkled with it to fall in love with the first person upon whom they lay eyes. Suffice it to say, Puck does not follow his master’s directions precisely, and Titiana, Demetrius, and Lysander are all sprinkled with the mystical dust, with comic results.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream has never been one of my favorite Shakespearean plays, and that should be noted for any and all considering this movie. The acting is first-rate, however, save the neurotic, annoying performance of Flockhart (Ally McBeal), whose persona I see frequently enough on television. Kline (In & Out, Dave) is a true pleasure to watch, especially after a Puck trick produces marked "changes" in his character. Speaking of which, Stanley Tucci delivers a fiendish, though restrained, performance as the conniving sprite. Anna Friel is a pleasant surprise as love-struck Hermia, and her two suitors deliver capable efforts. Sophie Marceau, though, appears miscast as the Duke’s fiancee, but her limited screen time makes this less of a factor.

The most difficult hurdle for the film to overcome, however, is its literal translation from the text. Average filmgoers may have difficulty following the Elizabethan verse, and may spend too much time “translating” rather than simply enjoying. Whatever one’s impression of the film might be, the final sequences are truly uproarious. As Kline’s troupe attempts to entertain the royalty, the viewer gets to see just how poor their "acting" skills are. Midsummer might not pass as anyone’s fantasy, but it fares well as a dreamy escape.

Cast:

Certification: Rated PG-13.
Running Time: 116 minutes.