William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream (1999)

REVIEW
A sterling cast helps brings life to Shakespeare's splendiferous comedy, but director Hoffman's sporadic pacing and episodic delivery keeps this from being the magical carpet ride it should have been. Updating the tale to 19th-century Tuscany (this way all the characters can scurry here and there on bicycles), the story remains the same: these foolish mortals come in contact with the fairy world for a night of romantic escapades and misadventures. Hoffman gives the film a spectacular look -- his attention to detail is remarkable. But his staging isn't fluid enough to fully capture the whimsy and discord of all these characters flailing about. But what a cast he has assembled. Most memorable of an unforgettable ensemble are Tucci as a most nimble Puck, Kline as a gloriously over-the-top Bottom, Everett as a stately Oberon, and Flockhart and Friel as Hermia and Helena, whose course of love with their handsome lovers doesn’t run smooth. Not the definitive interpretation, but an able one.