Review of Hamlet (2008) by Isaac R — 16 Apr 2012

David Tennant's Hamlet is stolid and unaffected until he starts feigning madness. Tennant then creates a character that is interesting to watch, but I never felt like I was watching an intellectual wrestling with life's grand questions. There are also several scenes from Elsinore's security cameras, and I have no idea why these are in there or what the black and white photography does to enhance the director's take on this story. This is in addition to the characters seemingly random direct addresses to the camera. The set and the direct addresses make it seem as though we're not watching a film, but a play on film, much like the stationary cameras and action of the first films. Patrick Stewart, who was my real attraction to this version, was good as Claudius, but I don't see anything revolutionary in his portrayal. I also wonder about the director's decision to double-cast Stewart as both Claudius and the ghost. There didn't seem to be a point to this choice, and I'm still waiting for the version that uses Hamlet's disembodied voice as the ghost; such a decision contains a thematic statement unlike what I saw here.

Overall, it's always good to watch Hamlet, with the exception of the Mel Gibson and Ethan Hawke versions, but I'm not overly impressed with this addition to the canon.