Anonymous

Drama, Period
4 stars
Compelling argument that William Shakespeare did not actually write the plays that bear his name. Jim and I both thought it was well done though we both found it difficult to keep all the characters names straight, especially since there were two sets of actors playing the same characters at different ages. The film also went back and forth in time a lot which got me confused every time I thought I had all the names straight. Vanessa Redgrave and her real life daughter Joely Richardson played Queen Elizabeth I at different ages. Rhys Ifans played –I swear it was Earl of Essex but I’m looking at the cast credits now and it was the Earl of Oxford (see what I mean?!!) and Rafe Spall (who co-starred in One Day this year) plays Shakespeare. My complaint? It’s one thing to surmise that someone else wrote the plays, but it’s quite another thing to defame Shakespeare by portraying him as a selfish, sleazy buffoon. Good movie, but go in with a clear mind to keep track of all the characters.