kbuswell

This is a very bland and inert production of one of Shakespeare's most vibrant plays. I can only guess that the intent was to make the play as accessible and understandable as possible to an audience that has not been exposed to Shakespeare before. By doing this, though - by making every line clear and every intent obvious - they have drained the play of life and turned it into a flat caricature. Somehow, it is actually boring - a very hard feat given such wonderful material.

The acting is forgettable at best - Sam Waterston as Benedick and Douglas Watson as Don Pedro. Others, however, do not fare so well. April Shawnham's Hero is a pouty, breathless airhead that frequently provokes winces. Jerry Mayer's Don John is a nonsensical cartoon character on the level of Snidely Whiplash (though Snidley was much more enjoyable).

F. Murray Abraham (you know, the guy who killed Mozart?) is not in this version, unless he was in disguise and had his name removed from the credits.

Given that the producer, Joseph Papp, is basically a theater god, this production is not only disappointing but head-scratching as well.

Don't bother with this. Watch Branagh's Much Ado instead - his version is overflowing with vitality and humor, to say nothing of wonderful performances.

"Crash" will tell you that racism is bad. It will also tell you that we all have our problems and we all have some kind of prejudice. It will suggest that maybe we need to put ourselves in someone else's shoes before we judge them. It shows us that sometimes good people do bad things and bad people do good things. Oh, and guns are bad, too, mmmkay? All of these sentiments are well and good. However, they are presented in a manipulative, preachy and not very plausible way. I suppose "Crash" is thought-provoking if you have never thought about racism before. If your head hasn't been buried in the sand for the past 10-20-100 years, however, you may be bored by the story and the plot twists (many of which you will see coming). If you want a movie that says something provocative about racism, try renting "Do the Right Thing." If you want a squishy, Hollywood film that will make you feel better for seeing it - but in an arrogant "Oh, I'm so open-minded" way - go with "Crash." Oh, the acting is wonderful.

This film is a lie. It is despicable propaganda. Stone distorts most of the facts and gets many of them plain wrong. It is revisionist history at its worst. If you are watching this film for a history lesson you are a sucker. However, if you are watching this film as a piece of fiction, you will be enthralled for three hours. This is a stunning piece of film making - probably Stone's best work ever. Allow yourself to be swept away by the power of Stone's vision, but remind yourself that it is just a film - and not a documentary.