A Midsummers Night's Dream … Now we are talking Shakespeare! This new adaptation of the bards tale of love and folly, and sprites and mortals -- is fantastic.
This movie has it all, big name stars (Kevin Kline, Michell Pfifere). It has the wonderful poetry, prose, and puns one expects from the greatest english playwrite. The acting is first rate -- each character is well developed, and believable (especially the unbelievable ones). Stacy Tucci plays Puck and deserves a special mention, visualize an older Puck discovering the wonders of a bicycle. As a matter of fact this film has to win an award for best use of bicycles. Modern films like to boast about their special effects -- the Medusa is only on for a few seconds, but you do believe she is real. The sprites and fairies are dilightful, as little illuminated, beings, fluttering and flying about the screen. The cinematography is perfect … each scene flows from one to another effortlessly. Some of the sets are incredibly lavish. Costumes are usually rich, not guady, and sometimes nonexistant. Okay so there is some nudity, and sensuality -- but it is a romance, and these things happen in the best of plays. Talk of your music scores, this is the most effective use of classical music since "1201, A Space Odessy", Mendelsohn, Verdi, Rossini et al. This play even has women mudwrestling -- so when I say everything -- I mean everything.
Go for it -- on my scale of 0 to 255 (Zero is "Bambi meets Gadzilla", and 255 is "Patton") I will give it a solid 250. Why so low you ask, simple I already know the story and ending. Outside of that I can't think of a better take-your-girlfriend-and-experience-some-magic movie.
Cool website too -- http://www.foxsearchlight.com/midfinal/html/index.html.