A Midsummer Night’s Dream *** (1999, Kevin Kline, Michelle Pfeiffer, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Sophie Marceau, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci) – Classic Movie Review 7839

‘Love makes fools of us all.’ Writer-producer-director Michael Hoffman brings William Shakespeare’s most magical comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream to an unexpected time and place – Tuscany at the end of the 19th century.

Amid a sensuous setting of terraced hillsides and succulent food, the renowned cast members give their characters a new comic lease of life as they explore their world on the new-fangled invention of the bicycle. Flying into the woods on two wheels, Tuscan nobles, actors and lovers find themselves at the mercy of mischievous spirits who turn the world of love on its head.

Some eccentric casting generally pays off handsomely: Stanley Tucci (Puck), Kevin Kline (Bottom), Rupert Everett (Oberon) and Michelle Pfeiffer (Titania) notably help to keep the good-natured, entertaining show on the road.

The main cast are Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Kline, Rupert Everett, Calista Flockhart, Sophie Marceau, Christian Bale, Stanley Tucci, David Strathairn, Dominic West, Anna Friel, Roger Rees, Sam Rockwell, Gregory Jbara, Bill Irwin, Max Wright, Bernard Hill, John Sessions, Deirdre Harrison, Heather Parisi, Annalisa Cordone and Paola Pessot.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is directed by Michael Hoffman, runs 116 minutes, is made by Fox Searchlight, Panoramica and Regency, released by 20th Century Fox, is written by Michael Hoffman, based on the play by William Shakespeare, is shot by Oliver Stapleton, is produced by Arnon Milchan, Leslie Urdang and Michael Hoffman, is scored by Simon Boswell and designed by Luciana Arrighi.

Other versions of the much filmed play include A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1935) directed by Max Reinhardt, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1968) directed by Peter Hall, the BBC TV Shakespeare A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1981), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (1985) directed by Celestino Coronada, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2014) directed by Julie Taymor and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2017) directed by Casey Wilder Mott.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7839

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