In the last years of William Shakespeare, after the Globe burned down during a performance of Henry VIII, he returned home to a family he’d never spent much time with, to a neglected wife and daughters and to the memory of his son, who died aged 10 while his father was working in London. This film takes a somewhat melancholic look at this period of his life, as Shakespeare reconciles himself both to his personal and literary legacy, dealing with the family he left behind on his way to becoming a legend. Kenneth Branaugh as Shakespeare has a quiet dignity to him, bruised and broken but still with his own fire within. Judi Dench as his wife plays the discomfort with having this stranger who she married but never really knew well suddenly returned into her life. Ian McKellen’s role as the Earl of Southampton features in what’s basically a self-contained segment of the film as he and Shakespeare discuss the world, their place in the world, those controversial sonnets and Will’s position in history. There’s also two daughters who feature in their own controversies, confronting Shakespeare with his personal failings.
In some ways this is a tad lacsidaisical – there are a few interesting revelations but mostly this is a film about resigning yourself to living with the history you’ve made. But I do think it packs a reasonable punch, with emotions building as we travel with Shakespeare on his final laps of the world.
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