Erica Derrick
By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.
Kinley
This movie feels like it was made purely to piss off people who want good shows
kagu
I have never seen the play, but based on the movie I'm sure it is a deeply moving piece beautifully crafted for minimalist theater. A somewhat meta-King Lear, Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen are masterful and charming in this adaptation. However, all the trappings of a film feel unnecessary. There's something just a bit off about watching a movie both celebrating and mourning the desperation, obsession, and beauty of the theater. This movie was not at all bad, but it's something that needs you to emotionally connect and watching it on screen creates a degree of separation that hinders that connection. If The Dresser were to show up on stage I would see it in a heartbeat, but I can't say that it's something I would ever watch on film a second time.
oscar-35
The Dresser, 2015. *Spoiler/plot- An aging dramatic stage actor during WW2, begins to fall apart and needs his stage 'dresser' to keep him going on during bombing raids in London.*Special Stars- Anthony Hopkins, Ian McKellen, Emily Watson, Sarah Lancashire, Edward Fox, Vanessa Kirby, Tom Brooke.*Theme- TV cable dramatic movie. It good to have emotional support from your team when you create on the stage. *Trivia/location/goofs- All interiors shot in film. *Emotion- A great buddy film that highlights real complex human roles. A TV re-make of the famous theater work that was done as a feature film decades ago with two different male British leads. Still worth watching if you enjoy real characters and dramatic situations. *Based On- 'Dresser' theater play.
Prismark10
Ronald Harwood's stage play was adapted for film in 1983 and received multiple Oscar nominations and a fruity performance from Albert Finney.Harwood's play has now been adapted for television. Harwood wanted it to be a stage revival with Anthony Hopkins but he called time on his stage career several decades ago and so we get Hopkins for the television film.I remember soon after Laurence Olivier died, it was Hopkins who introduced a special tribute programme on the BBC. Then he was regarded as an actor who never quiet fulfilled his immense talent on the stage or screen. He had been Olivier's understudy at the National Theater. Wild living and booze got the better off him. Hopkins was not averse to do highly paid thrash like Hollywood Wives for American television. He would also do more credible British television films, usually for the BBC and every now and then wow the stage in plays such as David Hare's Pravda.Within a few years after that introduction of that tribute to Olivier, Hopkins entered his own golden era first by bagging a best actor Oscar for Silence of the Lambs. He would get three other Oscar nominations in the 1990s and got to work with directors such as Spielberg and Oliver Stone. He would be regarded as one of the best actors of his generation.In The Dresser Hopkins returns to BBC television after some years and teams up with Ian McKellen for the first time on-screen. McKellen is the loyal, camp, alcoholic dresser to Hopkin's Sir, the domineering actor-manager (based on Sir Donald Wolfit) touring up and down the various stages of Britain during World War 2.In his advancing years and in ill health, he is not up to playing the big roles, in this case King Lear. He needs all the help from his Dresser just to get on the stage and recite the opening lines.Hopkins lays bare an actor who once thrilled the crowd, womanised, was adored and is self absorbed. Emily Watson plays the much maligned wife who in many ways has had enough of him, always playing second fiddle to the detriment of her own career. Then again so has the waspish McKellen and we see in the end as his anger and vindictiveness bubbles through.Director Richard Eyre has deliberately not opened the play up too much. It is kept small and intimate. We get to see Hopkins deliver bits of King Lear as Sir gets to the stage and delivers one big final performance. Look out for Edward Fox playing an actor drafted in at the last moment to play the Fool who delivers a tender monologue when he drops by to pay his respects to Sir after the performance.
The Old Bag -
It's funny how 32 years can fly past so quickly. It's one of those titles you'd have thought they'd never dare tackle, but sure enough they did. Thoughts before watching, they won't hold a candle to the mastery of Messers Courtenay and Finney. Was Hopkins right for Sir?Thoughts after watching, a successful outing for two acting greats that managed so amuse and sadden. McKellen expertly cast, Hopkins shone after twenty minutes or so. It generated a level of intimacy, similar to the feeling captured only live on stage.A nice touch having Edward Fox in the remake, he'd been marvelously cold as Oxenby back in '83. The part where he touchingly pleads for work was beautiful.
