Well, here we are. Chloe Zhao's Hamnet - one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year - premiered at the BFI London Film Festival two weeks ago. Since it's premiere at Telluride back in late August, this movie has been billed as a locked-in OSCAR contender and potentially one of the biggest threats to WIN Best Picture. Reviews like that always get on my nerves because it's classic film festival overhype. You watch a movie surrounded by all the cast & crew and thousands of like-minded movie fans and, inevitably, the hype is going to be through the roof. All that being said, I watched this movie at a film festival as well... so I'll be telling you all today whether the hype was real. I've been a little nervous going into Hamnet because, while the trailers have excited me and the reviews were certainly promising, I am neither a Chloe Zhao guy or a Shakespeare guy. Zhao's movies have always felt cold to me and I truly believe that Nomadland is probably one of the worst Best Picture winners.... of all-time! But, I'm happy to report that Hamnet is the first time that I've truly been able to connect with one of her movies. Find out why in this review!
Hmanet:
Directed by: Chloé Zhao
Screenplay by: Chloé Zhao, Maggie O’Farrell
Based on the novel "Hamnet" by Maggie O'Farrell
Produced by: Liza Marshall, p.g.a., Pippa Harris, p.g.a, Nicolas Gonda, p.g.a., Steven Spielberg, p.g.a., Sam Mendes, p.g.a.
Executive Producers: Laurie Borg, Kristie Macosko Krieger, Chloé Zhao
Music by: Max Richter
Director of Photography: Lukasz Zal
Edited by: Alfonso Gonçalves, Chloé Zhao
Casting by: Nina Gold
Production Design by: Fiona Crombie
Costume Design by: Malgosia Turzanska
Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, David Wilmot, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Olivia Lynes, Freya Hannan-Mills, Noah Jupe
Synopsis: The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.