Midsummer Night's Dream
Rated PG
Opening May 14
Running time: 2:05

I have to admit that I love Shakespeare.

This new version of William Shakespeare's magical romantic comedy is a delightful film. Unlike some recent renditions of Shakespeare's works that have retained only the plot and translated the rest into modern settings and language (such as 10 Things I Hate About You, derived from the Taming of the Shrew), this is a more true adaptation, retaining the poetry of the language. The wonderful cast does an excellent job, so that the beauty of the lines shines through, but the audience is not left confused by arcane terms or about the action of the scene.

In this version of the play, the woodland nymphs and immortals retain their Greek-myth appearance, but the human characters are relocated to, apparently, turn-of-the-century England. This allows for an extra comic touch, as some chases in the woods are done on bicycle. Beautifully done lighting highlights both the late Victorian outfits and locations, but the shimmery costumes and sylvan sets of the woodland mystic creatures are especially gorgeous in this golden light.

As mentioned before, the cast does an excellent job, with Stanley Tucci a standout as Puck, although I thought Kevin Klein's version of Bottom is a bit over-the-top in some scenes. Overall, I am delighted to see such a well-done adaptation of a Shakespearean work, and hopefully this is a harbinger of more to come.

-Catherine Marquis-Homeyer