Review of Anonymous (2011) by Dylan D — 10 Sep 2013

Anonymous never quite sorts itself out well enough to be of much value on a first viewing; it's complex to a fault and will leave many viewers uncertain of what they've watched or why they've watched it.

On the other hand, the film is gorgeous, well made and nicely acted. It tells a story that should be riveting but that is instead lost to excess stuffiness and too much ambition. It needs more breathing room and a gentler hand to lead viewers on a journey that is worth taking, but that in this exact format requires a fair bit of pre- and post-movie study if one is to appreciate all it has to offer.

As for its advancing of the de Vere authorship theory, Anonymous does a fair job of presenting a fictionalized account of what might have been. It's convincing because the filmmakers paint it as such with no opposing viewpoints, presenting it as fact in the guise of fiction.

If nothing else, it may spur on interested audiences to dig deeper and come to their own conclusions, using the film as a springboard rather than gospel.