The Film Review » Marshall Bell http://thefilmreview.com film reviews, gossip and news Wed, 23 May 2012 15:39:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Hamlet 2 http://thefilmreview.com/reviews/comedy/hamlet-2.html http://thefilmreview.com/reviews/comedy/hamlet-2.html#comments Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:27:35 +0000 Gemma Exley http://thefilmreview.com/?p=159 Continue reading →]]> If method acting means drawing on real experience and using it to identify with the character being portrayed, it’s a shame that Steve Coogan couldn’t take a glimpse into the future before researching his role in Hamlet 2. After reading the reviews of this flick, the comedian should certainly be able relate to his character anyway – what with him playing a failed film star and all…
You see, Coogan plays Dana Marschz, the aforementioned out-of-work actor who, after a string of bombs, resorts to a career as high-school drama teacher in Arizona’s Tucson. When even that job looks in jeopardy due to departmental budget cuts, he decides to go out in a blaze of glory by staging a Hamlet sequel – with not so hilarious consequences. Imagine a spoof of Dangerous Minds and you might get something of an idea.
It’s not strictly Coogan’s fault – the script is flimsy to the point that Catherine Keener and Elisabeth Shue look embarrassed to be sharing screen time – and it might seem less baffling if it was a TV feature, but, bizarrely, this was a big winner at Sundance last year. One of the themes of Shakepeare’s Hamlet is madness, I guess…

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