Anonymous (2011)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
Set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her, the story advances the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays.
4 connections found
View:
4 films that influenced Anonymous
What critics say influenced Anonymous
When De Vere's plays begin to be performed as Shakespeare's, Elizabeth is being pressured by her council William Cecil (David Thewlis, "Naked," "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows") to choose her successor as he plots to make her own son, the Earl of Essex (Sam Reid), appear as the leader of a traitorous uprising.
The whole setup plays a little like " The Front " crossed with " Amadeus ," only not as good and a whole lot more vulgar than either.
Like the wittier "Amadeus," "Anonymous" is propelled by artistic jealousies among famous geniuses and their enemies.
Late in the movie there’s a suggestion of a lifelong Amadeus-style rivalry between De Vere and Ben Jonson, but the subplot is never developed enough to engage us in their relationship.
The younger Spall, who could pass for Joseph Fiennes’ portly cousin (remember when movie makers dreamed of Shakespeare in Love, not in larceny?), gives a giggly performance seemingly modeled on Tom Hulce’s Mozart in Amadeus.
Even though Emmerich is working with ostensibly more refined material here, the ham-handed touch of the man who gave us " The Day After Tomorrow " and " 2012 " is felt quite heavily throughout.
It’s no Incredibles 2 or Toy Story 3, but Ralph Breaks the Internet holds it’s own and is a decent sequel.
Like “Toy Story 3,” “Inside Out” and “Up” before it, the touching “Wreck-it Ralph” sequel is filled with cute characters children will adore, but it’s also a sneaky therapy session for older folks.
Emmerich took a step in a different direction helming Anonymous, constructing a period drama with a limited budget instead of his usual popular big budget actioners like 2012, Independence Day, and Stargate.
Or Stargate, which asks, "What if ancient Egyptians populated a desert planet reachable only via cheesy special-effects?"