Hamnet

[LlynTegid]

Hoping to see it at the weekend, Jessie Buckley has been excellent in anything of hers I have seen.

Will be interested in other's thoughts once they have seen it.

Tomorrow (and tomorrow and tomorrow). Excited! I’m rarely excited about films - and generally cannot see what others see in Paul Mescal, but I’m liking the sound of his delivery of dialogue in the trailers. And Jessie Buckley, as you say, is never less than glorious. The cinematography looks lush. And this article is making me incredibly happy:

https://giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/actions/redeem/e2a887a6-7692-495b-a517-ef90fa9a5935 The ‘Hamnet’ guide to growing medicinal herbs

(Apologies if you don’t get the free article from my link. I haven’t mastered the archive thing yet, but you should find it if interested.)

I saw it a few months ago at. the London Film Festival. I can't understand the hype with this film as I found it quite unengaging and a bit dull. Not as moving as I expected and I couldn't watch it again. Great acting, though and I'm confident Jessie Buckley will win the Oscar.

Sounds like an accurate representation of the book then, tbh. Wildly overhyped.

Nearly bloody missed it! The cinema emailed a few days ago to say it would be starting at 6, rather than 6.20pm tonight - but I completely forgot. I was still shovelling Mowgli prawn curry into my face at 6pm. Luckily the cinema is just around the corner - but I must have missed the first ten minutes or so? They were flirting in woodland and she exclaimed that he didn’t know who she was. Then he went home and his family were vile about her.

Anyway … I’m relieved to see that there’s another person in the world who didn’t find it transcendently absorbing. I was wondering if there’s something wrong with me, since I just felt a bit detached from it all. The performances were … fine, so I guess it must have been the script or the directing that didn’t hit the spot. I kept waiting for it to start. It’s obviously sad, but I was strangely unmoved.

Nearly bloody missed it! The cinema emailed a few days ago to say it would be starting at 6, rather than 6.20pm tonight - but I completely forgot. I was still shovelling Mowgli prawn curry into my face at 6pm. Luckily the cinema is just around the corner - but I must have missed the first ten minutes or so? They were flirting in woodland and she exclaimed that he didn’t know who she was. Then he went home and his family were vile about her.

Anyway … I’m relieved to see that there’s another person in the world who didn’t find it transcendently absorbing. I was wondering if there’s something wrong with me, since I just felt a bit detached from it all. The performances were … fine, so I guess it must have been the script or the directing that didn’t hit the spot. I kept waiting for it to start. It’s obviously sad, but I was strangely unmoved.

I have no idea how that has posted twice and I’m afraid to delete one in case they both go!

I’ve just seen it, Jessie Buckley was amazing as Agnes. She has a depth of expression I find absorbing. I did become teary but ultimately it’s life affirming. Definitely worth a watch.

I really didn’t love it, although I had been looking forward to it. Just a bit meh overall. From the hype I thought it was going to be something special and it really wasn’t.
Waiting for it to start is spot on.

I saw it this morning and don’t get all the hype around it. I thought it was one of the most boring films I’ve seen in ages - lots of woodland shots and Jessie Buckley screaming, but it never really seemed to get going,

I loved it. The cinematography was excellent, and the performances very good. It warmed up as it went on - I do think the second half was better than the first - but I guess you need to understand what had led up to the main event to make sense of what happened after. I saw it yesterday, and am still thinking about it now.

Saw it last night and loved it. There was not a dry eye in the cinema. I thought it was a lovely film. I also loved the book. And separately Hamlet is my favourite Shakespeare play. So I couldn’t have had a better Saturday night

Looking forward to seeing it but a tad worried now as some posters on here were disappointed.
I wonder why 2 Irish actors were chosen to play the leads ?
i’m not complaining, I’m Irish and delighted Jesse and Paul got the work but I just thought it a bit odd, as there are so many talented British actors out there.

Oh I loved it.

Went to see it today and really enjoyed it, but I loved the book and the West End stage production.

I can see why some may say it's slow, doesn't really get going etc. It's not meant to be one of those films though. I wonder if most people who either haven't read the book or who didn't enjoy the book wouldn't like the film version?

Jessie Buckley should get all of the awards!

I wonder if most people who either haven't read the book or who didn't enjoy the book wouldn't like the film version?

That’s possibly something to do with it - I’ve started the book a few times but have never really got into it. I think I prefer things that are plot-driven rather than emotions-driven, if that makes sense.

I find Jessie Buckley really interesting/intriguing. She’s a wonderful actress but comes across blandly sweet and perhaps a bit…. Intellectually incurious in interviews?
When she’s asked deep questions about her craft she’s just like “erm whatever, I just turn up and do it”
I saw an interview with her where they asks how she processed her bodily trauma after playing tough roles and she said “tbh I don’t get affected. I just go home and crack on, this is only my job”.
I love that’s everyone else is stalking around beating their breast and being Method and she just turns up, out acts everyone and fucks off.
I also love that she started off in reality TV and I’ve never seen her signature on any bloody open letter!

This is how I felt about the book so am not bothered to see the film. Came here to see if anyone raved about it and it was worth it.

I loved her in Fargo, I guess she is quite private in real life which is good!

I saw it today and have to say I was disappointed. The acting was mostly very good and the cinematography was great but the story didn't grip me at all. I thought the characters were very two dimensional as well. I'm usually a one-woman waterworks if there's anything remotely emotional in a film but I didn't shed a single tear.

@Womaninhouse17 would be interested to know if you've read the book? I enjoyed the book and film, but have to agree the characters didn't seem full enough in the film, and the story didn't seem to flow properly. Gorgeous cinematography and outstanding acting though - Jessie deserves her Golden Globe.

@BretonStripe No, I haven't read the book. I'm not sure I'd want to now although perhaps the characters would be more fully developed in the novel? With the film, it seemed a bit like a box-ticking exercise to me - looked great, had all the necessary elements (romance, agony, arguments, trauma etc.) but was ultimately hollow.

Ah, see, I loved the book - as ever, so so much more detail and depth. You really properly get to know Agnes and the children. Though it did take me a good while to get into the book as it's very slow and full of purple prose; maybe even 150 pages until I really started to enjoy it? Have you read any Maggie O'Farrell? I found The Marriage Portrait to also be a very slow burner but enjoyed it in the end.

Pretty sure those who have read the book will enjoy the film more, as you can flesh it out more in your mind. Films seldom do the books justice hey.

I didn’t like the book but I have the film a go because I like who’s in it and the director. The performances were great but I found the first 2/3rds of it quite tedious. Only when they moved the action to London was I pulled in.

I find Maggie O’Farrell to be incredibly inconsistent. I either love her books or I don’t like them at all. I couldn’t even get 1/4 way through The Marriage Portrait and I found Hamnet strangely lacklustre. Oddly, the only thing I remember is the sex scene!

I love Jessie Buckley and Chloe Zhao though, so I will see this. @DefiniteMeteor that’s interesting, I kind of love that she doesn’t take acting all that seriously. She was amazing in Women Talking, it’s crazy to me that she wasn’t nominated for an Oscar for that role.

I also think Zhao’s Nomadland is one of the most interesting and memorable films of recent years, so I had high hopes for Hamnet based on that, however the reviews have tempered my expectations.