Helen Mirren is a female Prospero in the trailer for Julie Taymor's "The Tempest"
By James Brady RyanOctober 5th, 2010, 3:20 pmComments (5)Helen Mirren's streak of interesting roles just keeps on going, it seems. Director Julie Taymor — who's brought us Across the Universe and another Shakespeare film, Titus — apparently took a break from her perpetually troubled Spider-Man musical to take what is probably Shakespeare's final play, The Tempest, and give it her usual LSD-influenced treatment. Her biggest change to the story? Making Prospero into Prospera and giving the role to Mirren.
The Tempest holds very strong nostalgic value for me (I was in an elementary-school version of it, and you can guess how well it went), so I'm not sure how excited I am for Taymor's take. I liked Titus quite a bit, but I found Across the Universe barely watchable. (At least this time she didn't come up with the story, if you can call what that movie had a story.)
And the trailer does have some things that give me pause: an over-reliance on only-okay CGI, for instance, and the merest appearance of Russell Brand. But I still might see it; does anyone doubt that Mirren will give a stellar performance?
Commentarium (5 Comments)
If Mirren is wearing clothes in this, I have no interest in it. Julie Taymor is a solid director, if she had taken the "u" out of Titus, I might have watched it.
This looks fantastic. I can't wait to see it especially if Chris Cooper and David Strathairn are in it.
The supporting cast really is amazing (Brand notwithstanding). Alan Cumming, Chris Cooper, Alfred Molina, Djimon Hounsou! This could be really good.
I hope I remember to look into this when it comes to the dollar theater.
Heavy on the sound and fury, huh?