Conference bookie::movies

1209.0. "Looking For Richard" by CTHU26::S_BURRIDGE () Mon Jan 27 1997 12:57

    Directed and co-written by Al Pacino, in something that comes perilously 
    close to being a sort of vanity production.  
    
    The film follows Pacino and some actor cronies as they discuss
    Shakespeare, whether American actors can play Shakespeare, how
    audiences who don't know Shakespeare might approach the plays, etc.
    -- and put together a partial production of Richard III, scenes from 
    which production also form part of the movie. 
    
    The discussions are intermittently interesting.  There are interviews
    with Sir John Giegud, Vanessa Redgrave, and other giants of the acting
    profession. There are also discussions among Pacino and his buddies, 
    sometimes acting rather buffoonishly, trying perhaps to make the subject 
    more accessible.  Also some discussions among the cast of the "Richard
    III" production, about their characters and roles, some more interesting
    than others.
    
    The scenes from "Richard III" are definitely done for the movies, not
    the stage, with lines sometimes spoken so softly that I had trouble
    catching the words.  I hesitate to criticize or even describe the 
    production, as I haven't seen as much Shakepeare as I'd like.  It is
    played pretty straight, in contrast to the wild, 1930s-fascism film
    version made by Ian Mckellen last year.  I liked Kevin Spacey as
    Buckingham, thought Winona Ryder as Lady Anne(?- the widow seduced by
    Richard) was completely inadequate.
    
    I would think this would be very interesting to people interested in
    Shakespeare in the movies, and to Pacino fans.  I'm not sure how much it
    would appeal to others.
    
    -Stephen

    I really wanted to see this, and I missed it when it was in my area.  
    
    
    Siskel and Ebert have both said that they think it should get a nod for
    best documentary.
    
    
    E