Monday, January 10, 2011

Rec. #11: A Midwinter's Tale


What: This film is in black-and-white and its original title was In the Bleak Midwinter, but don't let that fool you. I mean, look at this picture! (Jennifer Saunders and Joan Collins, sitting next to a cardboard cutout and looking dubious.) Does that seem bleak to you? No. No, it does not. Saunders and Collins are just part of the stellar cast in this wry story of an out-of-work actor who volunteers to stage a production of Hamlet in a small village. Other notables include Richard Briers, Nicholas Farrell, Celia Imrie, Michael Maloney, Julia Sawalha, and John Sessions.

Comparable to: A less folksy Christopher Guest movie, minus the documentary frame.

Representative quote:
"Hamlet isn't just Hamlet. Oh no, no, no. Oh, no. Hamlet is me. Hamlet is Bosnia. Hamlet is this desk. Hamlet is the air. Hamlet is my grandmother. Hamlet is everything you ever thought about sex, about geology . . ."
"Geology?"
"In a very loose sense, of course."

You might not like it if: Black-and-white movies give you a headache.

How to get it: Could be a bit tricky. From what I can tell, you can't Netflix it, and Amazon doesn't currently have it in stock. You can buy it used, though, or you might be able to get it from your library.

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