Masterful transfer of Shakespeare's most villainous play to the
screen. The director's advertising experience shows in the glossy,
image-conscious camera work and set dressing, but the pace of the
performances and script make this the least stagey Shakespeare in
recent years. Ian McKellen controls the film with his every smile, and
Scott Thomas holds her own against the better-known Annette Bening and
Maggie Smith. The scene where Richard (McKellen) seduces Lady Anne
(Scott Thomas) over the dead body of her husband - who he's murdered - is
one of the tautest and most convincing in the film. Her heroin-addicted
languor counterpoints the frenzy of the court, and gives her an
unusually decadent glamour.
