In the Bleak Midwinter **** (1995, Michael Maloney, Richard Briers, Joan Collins, Jennifer Saunders, Celia Imrie) – Classic Movie Review 2185

Writer-director Kenneth Branagh’s 1995 movie is a beautifully realised, funny, perceptive comedy drama look at the British thespian game. In Branagh’s story, a resting, out of work actor called Joe Harper (Michael Maloney) battles to stage a cheap and cheerful performance of Hamlet at Christmastide in an English village church. Joe himself is playing Hamlet.

Despite its pedigree and subject, this is fortunately not too luvvie a film at all. It’s got a sharp waspish edge and an acute eye and ear for fine observation. Joan Collins camps it up deliciously as Margaretta D’Arcy, ditto Celia Imrie as Fadge and Jennifer Saunders as Nancy Crawford.

Also starring are Derek Jacobi, Richard Briers as Henry Wakefield (who plays Claudius, the Ghost and the Player King), Nicholas Farrell as Tom Newman (who plays Laertes, Fortinbras and messengers), Imelda Staunton, Julia Sawalha and John Sessions. Also in the cast are Hetta Charnley, Ann Davies, Robert Hines, Mark Hadfield and Gerard Horan.

It was retitled A Midwinter’s Tale. It is the first film that Branagh directed in which he did not appear.

Branagh says: ‘I’d paid for the film myself with the money I made from Frankenstein, and we sold it at a profit.’

© Derek Winnert 2015 Classic Movie Review 2185

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