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Tuesday, February 14, 2012
MOVIE REVIEW
Coriolanus
A Leader Of Rome Who Despises Leadership
Ralph Fiennes as the title character, Vanessa Redgrave as Volumina and Gerard
Butler (background, center) as Tullus Aufidius in Mr. Fiennes' directorial debut
"Coriolanus".
The Weinstein Company
by
Omar P.L. Moore/PopcornReel.com
FOLLOW
Tuesday,
February 14,
2012
Direct and as blunt as a dull knife, the riveting and powerful "Coriolanus"
marks the splendid directorial debut of Ralph Fiennes, who plays the title
character of William Shakespeare's man who seeks but rejects power in the title
Consul, is banished from Rome and then pays a price when aligning with his enemy
Tullus Aufidius (Gerard Butler) to exact revenge on the city. "Coriolanus"
is at its essence vintage Shakespeare, full-blooded passion stripped of the
formulaic movie sentiment and overture often found in much of the Bard of Avon's
work on the big screen. As adapted by
"Hugo"
screenwriter John Logan "Coriolanus" is unapologetic. Audiences will
either like its pin-point Shakespeare dialogue and ruggedness or won't at all.
Shakespeare lovers will relish in Mr. Fiennes' zest as well as the ensemble
performers' zeal injected into their characters.
"Coriolanus" is a showcase of strong performances, foremost Mr. Fiennes as the
rabid, ferocious and reluctant Caius Martius Coriolanus, who is under siege from
the city of Rome as its citizens are starving due to a food shortage.
Martial law has been imposed. The people take to the streets en masse to
demand food. Their contempt of Coriolanus is furious and met by their
equally contemptuous leader. Early on Aufidius is seen sharpening his
blade, with an eye on the television before him, which has an image of
Coriolanus on it. This juxtaposition tells us blood will be shed.
Lots of it.
Set in contemporary Rome, Mr. Fiennes' drama is about one man's perception of
power and the impossibility of satisfaction with any benefit it may bring.
Coriolanus sees power as a weakness and the people of Rome as unworthy of having
empty words bestowed upon them to keep their sense of goodwill and trust in a
leader who hardly believes in himself let alone them. Power is an
absurdity for Coriolanus, but revenge is an identifiable and unquenchable object
he hungers for. His steadfast counsel advise him; often he does not
listen.
Vanessa Redgrave does her best big screen work in many years as Volumina, the
mother of Coriolanus. Her fiery, impassioned rhetoric at the climax of the
film is memorable. Perhaps ironically, Ms. Redgrave was featured as Queen
Elizabeth I in Roland Emmerich's "Anonymous" (2011), which pondered the idea
that Shakespeare was a fraud, not the writer of a single word of the works the
world has come to know. Ms. Redgrave was terrific in that film, and even
better here. Jessica Chastain, in her fifth film of 2011, is also good as
Virgilia, further underscoring a remarkable calendar year on the big screen.
("Coriolanus" opened in New York City and Los Angeles last December to qualify
for Academy Awards consideration.) Mr. Butler does the best work of his
career as Aufidius, his restraint and discipline commendable. Mr. Butler
absorbs moments well, allowing them to come to him rather than forcing them to
occur.
Mr. Fiennes allows his camera to move into faces and conflagrations with ease,
hurling us effortlessly into the unrest on display. His direction is
assured, methodical and spare. Each image is precious and forthright,
conveying a maelstrom and intensity that boils in the eyes of the faces we see.
"Coriolanus" is pure theater, physical, energetic, its grand chaos spilling out
on the screen in measured and anarchical doses, yet both equally as potent.
"Coriolanus" has a cold, callous heart and a musculature of sheer guts.
Mr. Fiennes hurls venom into the camera at every opportunity from deep within
the antagonized heart of his character but his near-silence in the film's final
30 minutes is deafening and effective, one of the film's rare moving moments, as
are desperate appeals to reason by Volumina. Vigorous, challenging and
volatile, "Coriolanus" ruggedly guides us into the tormented heart of a man
dissatisfied with his responsibilities and disdainful of his people. He
doesn't like who he sees in the mirror.
With: Brian Cox, John Kani, Lubna Azabal, Ashraf Barhom, Paul Jesson, James
Nesbitt, Jon Snow, Nikki Amuka-Bird.
"Coriolanus" is rated R by the Motion Picture Association Of America for
some bloody violence. The
film's running time is two hours and four minutes.
COPYRIGHT 2012. POPCORNREEL.COM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
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