Director: Kenneth Branagh
Screenplay: Ben Elton
Starring: Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench, Kathryn Wilder, Lydia Wilson, Ian McKellan
Running Time: 101 minutes
Genre: Biography, drama
In 1613, the Globe Theatre burns down due to an accident during a performance of William Shakespeare's play Henry VIII (also known as All Is True). Retiring from writing, Shakespeare returns home to Stratford-upon-Avon, and his wife Anne (Dench) and daughters Susanna (Wilson) and Judith (Wilder), as well as the memory of his deceased son, Hamnet.
This low-key, melancholy film takes place over the last three years of Shakespeare's life. It's written by Ben Elton, who is best known for comedy such as the Blackadder series (1986-1989) and Upstart Crow (2016-current), which is also about Shakespeare and covers some of the same territory as All Is True. However this is completely different in tone, and is definitely not a comedy. The film deals with the difficulty of being close to a genius, it seems to be that Shakespeare is so used to putting words in characters mouths, he can't really deal with real people who don't always do what he would like them to do. The acting is great, particularly from Branagh, and there is a short but memorable appearance by Ian McKellan as Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton, to whom Shakespeare dedicated several sonnets and other poems. Powerful, and at times deeply moving, this is certainly worth more attention that it has received.
Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Lydia Wilson and Kathryn Wilder in All Is True
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