Monday, January 28, 2008
News Sundance reviews: Hamlet 2
Posted by Glenn LaFollette on Mon, Jan 28, 2008 at 4:16 PM
Hamlet 2
(U.S., 2007, 92 min, color, 35mm)
Directed by Andy Fleming. Written by Andy Fleming, Pam Brady. Starring Steve Coogan, Catherine Keener, David Arquette, Amy Poehler and Marshall Bell.
There are no adequate ways to describe the experience of Hamlet 2. Well, there is one way, but you're not going to like it. OK, ready?
It feels like I just got raped in the face. And for some reason, I'm totally OK with that. And you will be, too. You may even ask for more. There are likely few films at Sundance carried as far by a performance than that of Steve Coogan in Hamlet 2. He's absurd and hilarious, and he has to be to champion a script this loaded with the offensive material.
I thought racist midgets in In Bruges were bad. Hamlet 2 — in theory — should be worse, but it isn't. The movie dances across the line of dignity with the grace of a ballerina.
Coogan plays Dana, a failed actor-turned-theater-teacher who never embraces his desolation and lack of talent. His dream of Hollywood greatness stays alive and well in his classroom work, translating such greats as Erin Brockovich to the high school stage. Coogan limps through life guiding his two eager students and attempting parenthood with his wife.
Turmoil strikes, however, when the school begins cutting electives in Dana's high school. There is less money floating around and new, diverse students are being pushed into Dana’s class. Theater's fate is on the chopping block, and the only way to save the arts is to raise $6,000. Dana decides to produce one of his own works — a schizophrenic sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet. There's a time machine, a “Rock Me Sexy Jesus†song, and a chorus about getting raped in the face.
Awesome, right? Well, not for the parents of Dana's class and the school board. The play becomes a media storm bringing together Dana and his rag-tag group of actors.
The concept is funny enough, but the Hamlet 2 songs and Coogan's performance are enough to leave a lasting impression with Sundance comedy greats like Napoleon Dynamite and Little Miss Sunshine. I actually like this film better than those two, and that's saying a lot. There's a reason the movie was bought for one of the largest distribution deals in festival history. It's that good.
The material is risky but never boring, and Coogan is worth his weight in gold. Consequently, the film will be earning plenty at the box office. Make sure you are one of the ones moving the turnstiles.
Rating: A
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