Before we delve into this film, I gotta get something off of my chest: I’ve always found Hamlet to be a bit of a yapper. Yes, I know he’s the Taylor Swift of his time, a man who lives for a word salad with extra croutons. And in every generation, a director dusts off his catalog to give us a modern take, a new era, if you will, with updated backdrops, scores, or fashion. His Club Chalamet is Kenneth Branagh, who has six uneven attempts under his belt, one even set in Japan. This Hamlet (Michael’s Version) is set in New York City, with Ethan Hawke as our brooding, floppy coifed prince. Julia Stiles spends most of the movie distantly pouting as if she’s in a Rhode campaign. Her best scene is a feral outburst at the Guggenheim, which mostly made me think, “Wow, I’d love to scream at the Guggenheim too.” And That-Man-Who-Needs-To-Put-His-Phone-Down Kyle McLaughlin quite frankly slays as Hamlet’s enemy, “The King” while Bill Murray plays, well, a version of Bill Murray.
Be Your Own Hamlet — 1. Piccolo Sunglasses in Black by Bonnie Clyde 2. Black Mini Trolley Tote, Rick Owens 3. Vintage PXL 2000 Camera, Ebay 4. Pajama Shirt by Tekla
This movie was made during a time when directors were geeked on the idea of voyeurism and handheld cameras as a narrative and stylist tool. Just a year prior, The Blair Witch Project became a viral sensation with its use of supposed found footage, adding credibility to its “based on a true story” marketing. Here, Hamlet’s use of cameras appears to be more introspective, like a visual diary (#storytime) of his innermost thoughts. The mixed format can evoke a music video at times, but as a student of 90’s MTV, I appreciate that choice. It works best subtly, like when Hamlet is alerted of a sighting of his dead father via elevator CCTV footage before he appears as a more traditional apparition later. An unrelated film that came to mind is Michael Haneke’s Benny’s Video, which uses format shifts to convey the narrator's perspective but with a much darker tone.
The visuals aren’t the only flourish. Throughout the film, Stiles’ Ophelia shows an ongoing appreciation for braids. Thanks to hairstylist Kyra Panchenko (Kill Bill, Sex and the City, Uncut Gems), they begin as long single-strand micro braids veering into rattail territory (very Dimes Square), move to buns with partial braids, and finally evolve into twisted corn rows. If meant to be a metaphor for her unraveling psyche and her heartache, I say thank you Kyra for your service! I also loved the costumes by Marco Cattoretti (who later became a VP Role Naeem Kahn) and Luca Mosca (currently the John Wick franchise’s go-to designer). There are so many great style moments, including Hamlet’s Margiela Aids tee, his later cobalt blue hoodie under a black leather trench, and Ophelia’s fiery red tops, especially the one resembling a Dries Van Noten brocade. The film’s score offers soft, sometimes building reflections of the action, with a few great interruptions from Primal Scream and Morcheeba.
Hamlet in the iconic Aids Fundraiser Tee by Martin Margiela
Director Michael Almereyda sets himself a challenge in keeping all of the original Shakespearean dialogue despite the film’s contemporary setting. This results in characters delivering soliloquies in places like a Blockbuster video, or with the faint cry of the Moviefone voice trailing in the background. Even with the updated backdrop, the film suffers from pacing issues, with long stretches of slow burn leading to an abrupt and clunky, albeit known, resolution. While I understand those who don’t appreciate Baz Luhrmann’s soapy Romeo + Juliet (personally, I couldn’t get past the first 25 minutes of Elvis once I saw Tom Hanks), at least it had an underlying BPM. This one is more for the real heads who can appreciate the weight of the original stage play. There are a few small fun cameos too, like Steve Zahn and Dechen Thurman (Uma’s little brother) as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, and a blink and you miss it one from Casey Affleck as a tech whiz kid on the cover of an issue of Wired.
Inspired by Ophelia’s lovesick vibes - 1. Knob Set by Pamela Love x G. Pajolec, Petra Hardware 2. All Hands Area Rug, Nordic Knots 3. Vintage Amber Glass Face Mask Candelabra Attributed to Erik Hoglund for Kosta Boda, Chairish
A series on Criterion called Pop Shakespeare reminded me of this film, leaving me hungry for more of these modern takes on Shakespeare’s work. At the time, film critic Roger Ebert praised the movie’s “imagination in how it used modern settings”, calling it “surprisingly effective.” Maybe that’s where the abrupt ending succeeds in a way, as it left me wanting to watch more. Is it time for me to consider the Julie Stiles-John Hartnett-Mekhi Phifer vehicle O, directed by Tim Blake Nelson or Josh Whedon’s Much Ado About Nothing? Well, color me intrigued, my lord.
This color is king - 1. Stromboli Chess Club by Backdrop Home
To rent or not to rent…