Anonymous is a compelling drama that I think would’ve been better received if Roland Emmerich’s name wasn’t attached. Even so, it does feature some fine performances (especially by Rhys Ifans) while the costume design was particularly impressive. I can’t quite recommend a blind purchase but if you’re interested in the subject and/or time period, it might be worth a rental.
Anonymous (2011)
REVIEW NAVIGATION
The Movie | Special Features | Video Quality | Audio Quality | Overall
Genre(s): Drama
Columbia | PG13 – 130 min. – $35.99 | February 7, 2012
MOVIE INFO:
Directed by: Roland Emmerich
Writer(s): John Orloff (written by)
Cast: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, David Thewlis, Derek Jacobi
Theatrical Release Date: October 28, 2011 (limited)
DISC INFO:
Features: Commentary, Featurettes, Deleted Scenes, Alternate/Extended Scenes, BD-Live
Number of Discs: 1
Audio: English (DTS-HD MA 5.1), French (DTS-HD MA 5.1), Spanish (Dolby Digital 5.1)
Video: 1080p/Widescreen 2.35
Subtitles: English SDH, English, French, Spanish
Disc Size: 39.1 GB
Codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Region(s): A, B, C
THE MOVIE – 3.5/5
Before I begin, forgive me but I’m not exactly up on Shakespeare-lore so when I heard about this film, Anonymous, it certainly grabbed my attention. Now, I realize that some, if not most, might be inaccurate but I’m coming at this more on an entertainment level rather than historical; not unlike Fincher’s Zodiac which has issues of its own, and that’s more recent history by comparison. So those who are historians on Shakespeare, even moderately, might not gain much for this film, but I for one was surprised on its effectiveness.
The story opens in New York City, the legendary Derek Jacobi rushes out of a cab to get on stage as he tells the tale of William Shakespeare… but not the Shakespeare we know him today. His narrative then successfully transitions to the 17th century where poet/writer Ben Jonson (SEBASTIAN ARMESTO) is being pursued by the royal guard. Ben, hauling some letters in a leather folder, manages to get into the theatre where he hides under the stage. Unfortunately his pursuers decide to smoke him out (despite there really only being place he could be) and he eventually gives up, but not before housing the letters in a safe place.
We then flash back to how it all began. Jonson is a struggling writer with no real accomplishments to his name, and even so, you have some in the hierarchy that views plays as works of the devil. We also meet actor William Shakespeare (RAFE SPALL) who is somebody we’d probably classify today as a C-lister. But this movie is really little about Shakespeare (the character has maybe 15-minutes of screen time) and more about who some consider the real man behind the great works… and the political intrigue that surrounded it.
In this case, it’s the relationship between the Earl of Oxford, Edward de Vere (RHYS IFANS), and Queen Elizabeth I (VANESSA REDGRAVE) who is a bit more liberal in her appreciation of the arts than her nobles including William Cecil (DAVID THEWLIS). Anonymous takes us even further back, about 30 years, when a young Queen Elizabeth I (JOELY RICHARDSON, Redgrave’s real life daughter) and a young, and genius prodigy, Earl of Oxford (JAMIE CAMPBELL BOWER) who has come to live at the home to be schooled. His arrival is planned mainly for the elder Robert Cecil (EDWARD HOGG) to introduce and marry the daughter since during this time, that’s how it works for finances rather than love. But Elizabeth and de Vere fall for one another.
Back to the other present day, we find de Vere has love for writing to the point that he hears voices and is compelled to put it down from quill to cloth. However, because being a stage author is frowned upon and would be especially scandalous for somebody in the Royal Court, he enlists the help of Jonson to serve as the go between and placing his name onto the plays and poems. Jonson, though, believes de Vere’s works might not be good and feels embarrassed to put his name down and instead uses the name, “Anonymous”. As the plays become popular William Shakespeare, being the scoundrel and idiotic individual he’s portrayed in this film, decides to take credit.
I won’t delve further as there’s much more to Anonymous than just examining the real man behind some of the greatest works of humankind because, well, it’s much more. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I actually enjoyed the movie. No, it’s not perfect as it does run a tad long yet at the same time it did hold my attention throughout.
In terms of the performances, the underrated Rhys Ifans, an actor I was introduced to in the 1999 romantic comedy Notting Hill as Hugh Grant’s outlandish roommate, probably gives one of his finer performances as a man with brilliant plays and poems (and knows it) and yet cannot take credit for it (not that the Royal Court would allow it anyway). Vanessa Redgrave and Joely Richardson play the old and young Elizabeth I well enough although I didn’t feel it was anything special. Similarly, the relatively unknown Sebastian Armesto (Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides) does fine in what is one of the central characters.
However, I think the most stand-out performance is the briefest one of the film: Derek Jacobi. Let me tell you, as much as I enjoyed the movie, I could’ve watched Jacobi tell the entire movie on a stage for 2 hours and it would’ve been just as engaging… perhaps even more so.
Now, here’s the most interesting aspect to this production, the fact that it was helmed, and even partially financed, by Roland Emmerich the same man who has been lauded (and mostly rightly so) for 2012, 10,000 BC and Godzilla to name only a few. But I think because this was a passion project (and comparatively lesser budget of $40 million), this production had a certain spark, even maturity, missing from his other movies. Not only are the performances more refined but the story itself was more focused.
Speaking of which, the screenplay was written by John Orloff who had actually written it back in the 1990s. Orloff was also the man behind Zach Snyder’s animated flop, Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole, and before that, the adaptation of A Mighty Heart. From my research, I know Orloff’s screenplay has been criticized for its own inaccuracies but I look at it like David Fincher’s Zodiac in that there are dramatic liberties taken but it doesn’t take away from the all around picture.
All in all, Anonymous is an entertaining film that, while a tad bloated to the point 15-20 minutes could’ve been shaved off, is still compelling and features a few fine performances and some amazing production and costume designs (the latter of which received an Oscar nomination). Don’t be put off by the fact it was directed by Roland Emmerich, whose name receives a visceral reaction, because I found it to be his most mature project to date.
SPECIAL FEATURES – 3.5/5
Audio Commentary – Producer/Director Roland Emmerich and Executive Producer/Writer John Orloff sit down for an informative track going over the subject matter, working with the different actors, etc. If you’ve ever heard other tracks with Emmerich, you know what you’re getting but I for one enjoyed it.
Deleted Scenes (2:54; HD) includes three scenes that for whatever reason, most likely pacing or focus, didn’t make the cut. The scenes in themselves are fine but probably a good thing that they weren’t included in an already lengthy film.
Extended Scenes (3:29; HD) has two more scenes that were probably removed for pacing. Again, on their own, these are fine but they wouldn’t have added anything to the final product. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
More Than Special Effects (13:08; HD) takes a look at the use of visual effects and integrating it into the story. The featurette offers up interviews with the VFX Supervisor and Emmerich. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Who is the Real William Shakespeare? (10:39; HD) – This featurette examines the history behind the story. It features more interviews with Emmerich, Orloff and members of the cast and their beliefs on the man.
Speak the Speech… (16:14; HD) – The featurette looks at getting the casting just right, meaning getting mainly British actors. Emmerich ruminates on the choices and the actors also get their say on the characters. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
BD-Live – And lastly we get the trusty old and useless portal. ** Blu-ray Exclusive **
Previews – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011), Carnage, A Dangerous Method, The Ides of March, Fireflies in the Garden, The Rum Diary
VIDEO – 4.25/5
The 1080p (MPEG-4 AVC codec) transfer looks really good in high-definition. Anonymous was shot with the ALEXA high-def digital-video camera which, according to IMDb, is the first feature-length motion picture to use this type of camera. With going digital, admittedly the movie looks a bit too clean and doesn’t really have much noise that often aids giving a transfer a movie-like look. That said, it’s still finely detailed with no signs of artifacting, sharpening or pixilation and the black levels look excellent.
AUDIO – 4.5/5
The disc offers a nice and effective, 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. A good portion of the movie is dialogue driven so obviously the bulk of the action takes place in the center speaker but on occasion there is some ambient noises (like off camera chatter or rainfall) that brings the channel a little more to life.
OVERALL – 3.75/5
Overall, Anonymous is a compelling drama that I think would’ve been better received if Roland Emmerich’s name wasn’t attached. Even so, it does feature some fine performances (especially by Rhys Ifans) while the costume design was particularly impressive. I can’t quite recommend a blind purchase but if you’re interested in the subject and/or time period, it might be worth a rental.
Brian Oliver, The Movieman
Published: 02/14/2012
Check out some more screen caps by going to page 2. Please note, these do contain spoilers.