Hamnet

Brilliant film. Superb acting too.

I adored the film, but disliked the book. Every actor was wonderful. Jessie Buckley was perfection - I hope she wins every award this year. Paul Mescal is a brilliantly understated actor - he says so much with his expressive eyes. You’re right about the cinematography - it was breathtakingly worthy of the big screen.

Me and my friends really enjoyed the film - scenery and acting was lovely in a way and I know more about Shakespeare now - especially as inspired me to Google his life and Anne ( Agnes Hathaway who our modern day actress was named after ) ,

Outstanding, emotional film 10 out of 10 imo..👍

Agree with LynW - I read the book a while ago- (from the library). I found it a good read- if I hadn't, I wouldn't have finished it! Saw the film last night and felt I "got" it more, having read the book.

Read the book, eventually after a slog, saw the play at Stratford, going to watch the film on Monday. Hope it lives up to the hype. I like Maggie O Farrells earliest work to be honest

Jessie has come a long way since she was on that show with Andrew Lloyd Webber when they were auditioning for someone to play Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. I think she is great.

I agree with you about the book ... I had to stop reading it as I thought it was dire ..

Absolutely superb. They both deserve Oscar's

Samsara1

We went to see this last week. I enjoyed the film and superb acting but it did trigger a few things and I am trying to shake this off now. A very sad film.

I'm sorry to hear that. I can imagine that it would be difficult for people who have suffered in the same way (trying to avoid spoilers, although it's unlikely that anyone won't be aware of the main event). It was sad, but also uplifting, speaking as someone who has been spared (that I assume to be) your loss, Samsara.

I too have just seen it and loved it. I read the book first, did find it hard to get into at first, but really enjoyed it once I did. Although book and film stand alone, I do think it helps with understanding the film more if you’ve read the book first. It explains more about Shakespeare’s frustration, his father’s bullying, the twins dressing up in each other’s clothes to fool the adults and then Hamnet trying to cheat death by getting death to take him instead of his sister. Also Agnes’s ‘forest’ background and herbal knowledge being the reason she wanted to give birth in the woods and her close relationship with her brother and antipathy towards her step mother. All helps with the plot of the film. Really enjoyed it. Worth seeing I would say, but of course we can’t all enjoy the same things, we’re all different. But whether you enjoy it or not, it is a great film - beautifully produced and acted in my opinion.

eazybee

Seems to be a good film, made from a poor book.
Jessie Buckley is a serious actress with a varied body of work behind her and worth watching; hope to be able to see it.

I can’t say it was a poor book, but I didn’t enjoy it! Off to see the film tomorrow, not a deliberate choice…maybe that will be better

We went to see this last week. I enjoyed the film and superb acting but it did trigger a few things and I am trying to shake this off now. A very sad film.

There was real acting in Hamnet😀

Jessie B got a Golden Globe for best actress, and the film got another for best film.

I enjoyed All Is True too. Both are largely supposition, as is all historical fiction. All we ever know is what is in legal records (for most people that’s not a lot), and sometimes rumours, comments from contemporaries left in letters, diaries etc, but obviously they are biased at best, as are news reports when they came along later in history. The rest is assumption, cross referencing etc, and where fiction is concerned, assumption is put together to make a compelling story that readers/viewers will enjoy.

The story 'Hamnet' is largely supposition. For such a prolific writer Shakespeare left very little information about his personal life, other than financial and business transactions and occasional mentions in court records, support of a claimant, listed in performances , extracts from diaries etc, and his recorded marriage to Anne Hathaway, the birth of their children, the marriages of his daughters and the death of Hamnet. It was unlikely to have been from plague as no other cases were recorded in Stratford at that time.
And of course the notorious bequest of the second-best bed to his wife.
I hope to see 'Hamnet' but for real acting see 'All is True', which deals with the aftermath of Hamnet's death. Judi Dench as Anne Hathaway, and Kenneth Branagh and Ian McKellen seeking comfort by reciting sonnets to each other.

I think Jessie Buckley is very talented. I am very wary of over-hyped films as most that I have seen were way overrated. The trailer for Hamnet did not appeal to me, but then I'm no lover of Shakespeare at the best of times. It all looks rather dreary. I have not read the book, but probably won't. Glad to hear others enjoyed it, but not for me.

Ladyleftfieldlover

I also didn't enjoy the book. It was beautifully written but possibly over-written? I have read most of her other books and considered The Marriage Portrait her best.

This described how I felt about the book. I didn’t enjoy it simply because the style was relentlessly overwritten. There was no break from it. I read it some time ago and trying to also remember more of the details such as Anne Hathaway being some kind of a local witch. No I didn’t enjoy it but perhaps the film will be better. It will have to be Netflix etc as although the big screen is great visually my hearing isn’t very good and I miss parts of the dialogue. It’s only when I watch them again on the tv that I realise just how much Ihave missed.

Oh. Thank you so much Doodledog,. I get it now!

It’s just another variation of Anne. Agnes (pronounced ‘Annyess’) is Anne Hathaway, Shakespeare’s wife.

So. Who is Agnes?

Interesting, ginny - I'm also just back from a subtitled screening! I didn't know it would be subtitled, but reading some comments here about muffled dialogue, it probably helped.

BlueSapphire

Did anyone else who saw the film find the dialogue difficult to follow in some places? Or is it just me?

Not just you ! We found many of the close face to face conversations so muffled they were unintelligible.

Just got back from seeing the film. Certainly one for the big screen.Great acting from all.
Somehow we ended up at a subtitled showing which I think probably helped.
All in all very enjoyable.

Thank you. That's what I thought but having read about the film, it says his wife is Agnes? I thought he was married to Anne Hathaway. Sorry if I sound thick.

Kate1949

Is it fantasy?

No, it's the story of Shakespeare's family life, and how it influenced his writing of Hamlet. HamNet was his only son.

The story is fiction, but based on recorded events. It's not fantasy, but it's not documentary-style fact, either.