Love's Labour's Lost (2000)

Director:

Kenneth Branagh

Writers:

William Shakespeare (play)
Kenneth Branagh (screenplay)

Release Date:

24 March 2000 (Norway)

Genre:

Romance | Comedy | Musical

Tagline:

A New Spin on the Old Song and Dance

Plot:

An update of the classic Shakespeare story, director Kenneth Branagh shot this movie like a classic 30s musical. Love's Labour's Lost tells the story of four best friends who swear off love.

Plot Keywords:

Love | Princess | William Shakespeare | Based On Stage Play | Male Female Relationship

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Alessandro Nivola	...	King Ferdinand of Navarre
Alicia Silverstone	...	The Princess of France
Natascha McElhone	...	Rosaline
Kenneth Branagh	...	Berowne
Carmen Ejogo	...	Maria
Matthew Lillard	...	Longaville
Adrian Lester	...	Dumaine
Emily Mortimer	...	Katherine
Richard Briers	...	Nathaniel
Geraldine McEwan	...	Holofernia
Stefania Rocca	...	Jacquanetta
Jimmy Yuill	...	Dull
Nathan Lane	...	Costard
Timothy Spall	...	Don Armado
Anthony O'Donnell	...	Moth (as Tony O'Donnell)

Also Known As:

Peines d'amour perdues (Canada: French title) (France)

MPAA:

Rated PG for sensuality and a brief drug reference.

Runtime:

93 min

Country:

France | UK | Canada

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:PG (Ontario) | Iceland:L | Netherlands:6 | Finland:S | France:U | Germany:6 | Hong Kong:IIB | Norway:7 | Portugal:M/12 | Singapore:PG | Spain:T | Sweden:Btl | Switzerland:7 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:7 (canton of Vaud) | UK:U | USA:PG

Filming Locations:

Shepperton Studios, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company:

Arts Council of England

Trivia:

The actors had three weeks to rehearse.

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The swim suits that were worn during the pool sequences of the "No Strings (I'm Fancy Free)" musical number were far too immodest for the late 1930's. Women in that era, especially in a movie musical, would have been wearing a panel suit, with a panel of fabric covering the lower front of the suit.

Quotes:

Berowne: From women's eyes this doctrine I derive: They are the ground, the books, the academes, from whence doth spring the true Promethean fire. O, we have made a vow to study, lords, and in that vow we have forsworn our books; For when would you, my liege...

Movie Connections:

References Top Hat (1935)

Soundtrack:

Let's Face the Music and Dance

Enjoyable Musical-Shakespeare

This movie should be taken for what it is... experimental Shakespeare. Those expecting a loyal and painstaking presentation of the bard's work will likely be disappointed. Then again, so would someone searching for intelligence in Zoolander or Dumb and Dumber (both of which, I enjoyed after adjusting my expectations). To make a fair comparison, one must consider this movie against other experimental Shakespeare productions. I would say that it is on par with the adapted Romeo and Juliet from the 90's to give a rough idea. Certainly I have seen worse. For example, an adapted Hamlet (at our local Shakespeare in the park) with shameless pop culture references gratuitously inserted, including a spoofed scene of The Matrix. Anyway, I enjoyed the musical selection and dance routines (especially Adrian Lester's) of LLL very much with only a few exceptions, and would recommend this as a "date" movie.

"Now this overdone, or come tardy off, though it make the unskilful laugh, cannot but make the judicious grieve"