Anonymous

Roland Emmerich has spent a whole career killing off as much of the human race as possible, usually through the use of computer effects. His latest film, Anonymous, moves away from the bloodshed though the special effects count is still high. This time though Emmerich is concerned with killing reputations as opposed to humans as he digs up the old theory about it being someone else who penned Shakespeare’s plays. However, despite this being the main selling point the film actually revolves around….well, I’m feeling lazy so in Roland’s own words: "It’s a mix of a lot of things: it’s an historical thriller because it’s about who will succeed Queen Elizabeth and the struggle of the people who want to have a hand in it. It’s the Tudors on one side and the Cecils on the other, and in between [the two] is the Queen. Through that story we tell how the plays written by the Earl of Oxford ended up labelled 'William Shakespeare'." What Emmerich doesn’t tell you there is that the film takes some serious historical liberties with time, people and places. So much so it looked for a moment that many miffed historians would be burning down the local flea pits such was their outrage. However, aren’t they missing the point though? I don’t think anyone’s even taken an Emmerich film at face value, so best just to enjoy (or endure) what’s on show and forget about it quickly afterwards. The good bits first then. The feel and look of the film is superb and its depiction of Elizabethan London in the overhead shots is excellently rendered. Acting wise there’s a great turn from Rhys Ifans (as Oxford) showing depth not usually associated with him (Ifans, not Oxford) and David Thewlis entertains as the weasely adviser to Queen Elizabeth. The rest of the film is a bit of a strain though. It’s far too long and Emmerich’s use of the time jumping format throughout the film just muddles things up. Too many characters come and go and it’s unclear at times who is who, especially when comparing the young and old versions of certain characters. All in all, this isn’t a bad film (theatre buffs can even look for a nod and wink cameo in the form of Mark Rylance) but if Emmerich had been a bit sharper on the editing and screenplay front this would have been quite a romp as opposed to the mildly intriguing final version it is.

The OC Film Sting Final Verdict
Overlong and overdrawn, but it doesn’t take itself too seriously and the effects are great. Rating: 6/10.