Moviefone Editorial

Tag: timothy-spall

  • Movie Review: ‘Hamlet’ (2026)

    Riz Ahmed stars in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    In theaters on April 10 is ‘Hamlet’, a fresh update of William Shakespeare’s famous tragedy, which features Riz Ahmed (‘Sound of Metal’), who plays a version of the troubled Dane, here the heir to an elite South Asian empire in modern-day London.

    KXhyze0oUeI2SOiBw5XBM4

    The cast also includes Art Malik (‘True Lies’), Joe Alwyn (‘Kinds of Kindness’), Morfydd Clark (‘Saint Maud’), Timothy Spall (‘Mr. Turner’) and Sheeba Chaddha (‘Songs of Paradise’).

    Related Article: Riz Ahmed Talks ‘Hamlet’ and Why Shakespeare’s Play Is Still Relevant

    Initial Thoughts

    (L to R) Morfydd Clark and Riz Ahmed in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    (L to R) Morfydd Clark and Riz Ahmed in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    If you’re going to tackle a Shakespeare play on film –– particularly the complex web of family tragedy that is ‘Hamlet’ — be prepared for challenges. But with this present-day version, director Aneil Karia and writer Michael Lesslie bring a fierce energy to their effort.

    Script and Direction

    (L to R) Riz Ahmed and Timothy Spall in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    (L to R) Riz Ahmed and Timothy Spall in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    Shakespeare is not easy to adapt, and Lesslie here sticks to the traditional language for the most part (while still needing to cut plenty to avoid an overlong running time). But the changes and substitutions (London for Denmark and the use of Indian culture) truly work well.

    Karia, meanwhile brings real panache and style, making the world feel relevant and also, in places, timely.

    Cast and Performances

    (Far Left) Riz Ahmed stars in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    (Far Left) Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    It’s really Ahmed’s show, and he chews on one of the trickiest parts in drama. Sequences such as the “To be or not to be” soliloquy give him something to truly work with.

    Which isn’t to dismiss an impressive supporting cast, especially Art Malik as scheming uncle Claudius and Morfydd Clark, who brings humanity to the relatively smaller role of Ophelia.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Art Malik and Joe Alwyn in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    (L to R) Art Malik and Joe Alwyn in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    Even if you’ve dismissed Shakespeare as impenetrable, the new ‘Hamlet’ shows what can happen in sure hands, the emotion on full display. Purists may balk at the changes, but this is a worthwhile adaptation.

    ‘Hamlet’ receives 75 out of 100.

    Joe Alwyn in in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    Joe Alwyn in in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Hamlet’?

    • Riz Ahmed as Prince Hamlet
    • Art Malik as Claudius
    • Morfydd Clark as Ophelia
    • Joe Alwyn as Laertes
    • Sheeba Chaddha as Gertrude
    • Timothy Spall as Polonius
    • Avijit Dutt as the ghost of Hamlet’s father
    'Hamlet' opens in theaters on April 10th.
    ‘Hamlet’ opens in theaters on April 10th.

    List of Riz Ahmed Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Hamlet’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Riz Ahmed Movies on Amazon

    LVbC5vtf

     

  • ‘Hamlet’ Exclusive Interview: Riz Ahmed

    aJ1hVIJv

    Opening in theaters on April 10th is the new modern adaption of William Shakespeare’s classic play ‘Hamlet’, which stars Oscar winner Riz Ahmed (‘Sound of Metal’) in the title role and was directed by Academy Award winning filmmaker Aneil Karia (‘The Long Goodbye’).

    KXhyze0oUeI2SOiBw5XBM4
    Riz Ahmed stars in 'Hamlet'.
    Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Riz Ahmed about his work on ‘Hamlet’, taking on the iconic role, shooting the “To be or not to be” speech, and why Shakespeare’s work is so timeless and universal.

    You can watch the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Relay’

    Riz Ahmed stars in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about the challenges of playing the iconic role of Hamlet, and is it a role that you’ve always wanted to play?

    Riz Ahmed: I’ve wanted to play this since I was 17 and I was in English class feeling like this is some stuffy, boring museum artifact, and that Shakespeare is not for me. I had an amazing English teacher who put it in front of me and made me realize, “Wow, this is pretty close to how I’m feeling.” The central feeling, I would say for Hamlet is, “Is the world going crazy or have I lost my mind?” I think that’s how we’re all feeling. That’s how I was feeling then, and it’s how I’m feeling now, and dare I say, it’s how most of the world feels now. So, I wanted to play it because it was very relatable. I think that’s the challenge and the gift of taking on something like ‘Hamlet’, a role like this, is it’s been done so many times. I think the challenge is, what is specific and personal about your interpretation? That’s also a gift. It’s been done so many times, there’s no illusion that someone’s going to perform a definitive Hamlet. You’re liberated in a way to just do something as uniquely specific and personal to you and your experience as possible. So, it’s a strange combination of feeling like, “We’re going to step into these big old shoes that don’t belong to us.” While at the same time going, “Well, actually we get to run around in these shoes however we want.”

    (L to R) Morfydd Clark and Riz Ahmed in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    (L to R) Morfydd Clark and Riz Ahmed in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    MF: Shakespeare’s work is universal and can be adapted to any time-period or culture. What is it about his work that you think has made it stand the test of time?

    RA: I think it’s a couple of things. Firstly, a lot of the stories are drawn from myths that are not British, that are ancient. The first words you hear in our Hamlet are words from the Bhagavad Gita, which is the foundational Hindu myth. That’s because that story is very similar to the story of ‘Hamlet’. It predates ‘Hamlet’ by thousands of years. This idea of choosing family loyalty or doing the right thing, that’s a timeless theme. So, I think that’s one reason why it can cross barriers of culture. It belongs to myth that belongs to all of us. The second reason is because it’s like music. The logical understanding of every word was not something that even audiences were doing in Shakespeare’s time when it comes to these plays. Shakespeare made up like 4,000 new words. They didn’t understand half of what he was saying, but it’s music. It’s rhythm, its flow, its percussion, its energy, and it’s intention. If you hear it like music, it moves you like music and music crosses all boundaries.

    (Far Left) Riz Ahmed stars in 'Hamlet'. Photo: Focus Features.
    (Far Left) Riz Ahmed stars in ‘Hamlet’. Photo: Focus Features.

    MF: Finally, I’ve never seen the ‘To be or not to be” speech depicted the way you did it, with the character in a car speeding towards oncoming traffic. Can you talk about shooting that scene and how that added urgency to the speech?

    RA: Absolutely. Our interpretation of “To be or not to be” is that it’s not about, “Should I kill myself or not?” Which is how it’s usually performed, right? It’s a much more urgent, confronting question. The question is, “Should we fight back against injustice, even if it means we might die?” That’s a contemporary, radical question. Then if you look at the language itself rather than looking at the traditional way it’s performed, that’s what it’s saying. So, we had to stage it in a way and have that confrontation and that urgency. If the speech is a game of chicken, we’re going to stage it like a game of chicken. So, he is literally doing that. He’s driving down a freeway, heading towards a lorry a hundred miles an hour, asking himself, does he have the guts to take on something bigger than himself? So, we staged it that way in a way. We’re just trying to honor the DNA of this speech rather than honoring the traditional way it’s done. We really tried to make something that’s for people who feel like Shakespeare isn’t normally for them and hopefully it gives them a visceral experience.

    'Hamlet' opens in theaters on April 10th.
    ‘Hamlet’ opens in theaters on April 10th.

    What is the plot of ‘Hamlet’?

    Haunted by his father’s ghost (Avijit Dutt), Prince Hamlet (Riz Ahmed) descends from elite London society into the city’s underground, moving between Hindu temples and homeless camps. In seeking to avenge his father’s murder, he begins to question his own role in his family’s corruption.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Hamlet’?

    Riz Ahmed arrives on the red carpet of the 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Credit/Provider: Kyusung Gong / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.
    Riz Ahmed arrives on the red carpet of the 95th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 12, 2023. Credit/Provider: Kyusung Gong / ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

    List of Riz Ahmed Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Tickets: ‘Hamlet’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Riz Ahmed Movies on Amazon

  • Kate Winslet to Make Directorial Debut

    Kate Winslet in 'Mare of Easttown'.
    Kate Winslet in ‘Mare of Easttown’. Photo: HBO.

    Preview:

    • Kate Winslet will star in, direct and produce ‘Goodbye June.’
    • It’s a Netflix film focused on a family.
    • Winslet’s son Joe Anders wrote the script.

    It’s a common refrain that every actor secretly wants to direct. Well, maybe not all of them, but there are sufficient egos of many who see themselves as taking the reins and overseeing everything on set.

    Yet it also presents quite the challenge; since the director is responsible for all decisions, so if you’re going to take it on, you have to decide whether you’re going to transition to more on the directorial side, such as Greta Gerwig, or switch between, as Ben Affleck appears to have chosen.

    The latest person known more for their work in front of the camera now looking to transition behind it is Kate Winslet, who according to Screen Daily, has found her directorial debut in new Netflix family drama ‘Goodbye June.’

    SA64StlMMBL3z1wNvLHwR2

    While we wondered whether she might try her hand at TV first (as she’s been taking more of a role behind the scenes of small screen work), she’s jumping straight to making movies –– albeit with a relatively smaller scale project.

    Related Article: Academy Award Winner Kate Winslet Talks Dramatic True Story ‘Lee’

    What’s the story of ‘Goodbye June’?

    Kate Winslet stars in 'Lee'.
    Kate Winslet stars in ‘Lee’.

    Netflix is describing the movie as a “touching, yet humorous” drama which sees a fractured group of siblings pull together under sudden and trying circumstances.”

    So there you have it. With luck, Winslet can bring something fresh to what sounds like a very familiar story.

    The actor (and now director) does at least have an impressive cast lined up to appear alongside her –– Toni Collette, Johnny Flynn, Andrea Riseborough, Timothy Spall and Helen Mirren are all on board the movie.

    And keeping it in the family, Winslet’s son, Joe Anders –– whom she shares with director Sam Mendes –– wrote the script for the movie.

    This new movie will be set in in England in the present day and Winslet plans to kick off production soon in the U.K.

    She has some support from Kate Solomon, who worked on ‘Lee’ with Winslet and will produce the new movie alongside the actor.

    As with other actors who look to grow their career beyond simply performing, Winslet has also been working as a producer on several of her projects, including on the likes of ‘Mare of Easttown’ and ‘I Am…’

    Winslet on Directing

    Kate Winslet stars in director James Cameron's 'Avatar: The Way of Water.'
    Kate Winslet stars in director James Cameron’s ‘Avatar: The Way of Water.’

    Winslet’s decision to finally jump into the directing world might not be so surprising to those who heard her on the ‘How to Fail’ podcast, where she told host Elizabeth Day that she had resisted calls to direct, partly due to the time commitment involved, she now felt a sense of “urgency” and responsibility to women in Hollywood to step behind the camera.

    Here’s what she said:

    “So many people will say to me on film sets, people I work with and know well, whether it’s an actor or a crew member, they will say, ‘Why aren’t you directing?’ and I’ll go ‘No, no, no, please don’t say it. Stop saying it. Why does everyone keep saying it?’ But the more I’m not doing it now, with the need to change the culture, the more I feel like I’m actually letting down other women by not doing it. I’m really starting to feel that in quite a loud way. The more of us that are doing it, the more will be inspiring others to do it. There’s no way I’m ever going to do something unless I really know how to do it properly.”

    What else is Kate Winslet working on?

    Kate Winslet 'Lee'. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.
    Kate Winslet ‘Lee’. Photo: Roadside Attractions & Vertical.

    Winslet was most recently seen in the aforementioned ‘Lee,’ about model-turned-World War II photographer, which included Riseborough among its cast.

    She landed a Golden Globe nomination for her performance in the film, which was also nominated for the BAFTA for outstanding British film of the year.

    In addition to that, she was seen on small screens in HBO limited series ‘The Regime,’ playing a quirky dictator.

    Coming up, Winslet has family movie ‘Dreamscapes,’ an audio/visual experience for which she provides the narration. And in December, she’ll once more be seen as Na’vi warrior woman Ronal in ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash,’ the second of James Cameron’s planned sequels to the 2009 original.

    When will ‘Goodbye June’ be on screens?

    Given that it’s a Netflix movie and Winslet –– for all her acting and showbiz clout –– isn’t exactly on the level of Gerwig yet (who has been able to secure a cinematic release for her Narnia movie), we wouldn’t expect to see this one arrive in theaters.

    Instead, it seems likely to debut on the streaming service’s system. Which is not always a bad thing, as it guarantees a huge potential audience. And you know people will be drawn to the idea of a movie directed by Winslet.

    Kate Winslet in 'The Regime.' Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.
    Kate Winslet in ‘The Regime.’ Photograph by Miya Mizuno/HBO.

    Kate Winslet Movies and TV Shows:

    Buy Kate Winslet Movies On Amazon