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Title: 1*2*3* Rent, Don't Buy This Canker-Blossom
Review: 1 Star for the DVD, 2 for the director, 3 for the cast: I originally saw this for a Shakespeare in film class at U.C. Berkeley 20 years ago, and it's a ashamed that copy wasn't borrowed for this transfer. But even a clean copy wouldn't help this poorly edited "art" film. Hall was definitely trying to aspire to arty French and Italian films of the time, but it doesn't work. As for the acting, the women are great - the men cardboard. Helen Mirren's first major film role as Hermia is fun to watch as is Diana Rigg's Helena. It's also pretty fun to see a 35-year-old Judi Dench as the bare-breasted Titania. Ian Holm is way over the top as Puck and a future playing villians is apparent when you see David Warner's attempt as the fair hero and lover. Mirren's second romp in the forest as Titania in the 1981 BBC production is far superior. Buy that one, then rent this to compare the two for fun.
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