Edward de Vere (Rhys Ifans) is an Elizabethan aristocrat skilled in writing plays. Having an adverse effect on his social standing where such theatrical frivolity is frowned upon he tries finding a way out of this situation. While honing his skills, he also conducts an affair with Queen Elizabeth 1 (Vanessa Redgrave). When her wicked counsellors plot to use his writing against her, de Vere stumbles upon a plan to force authorship of his work on the roughish Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) – little knowing of its historic ramifications.
As a factual look at the origins of Shakespeare’s plays and their authorship, Anonymous should be taken with a pinch of salt. Typically for a story speculating on what happened it plays fast and loose with the truth in order to fit its’ narrative. Whilst consistently engaging it’s somewhat disappointing it takes the view a ‘mere nobleman’ couldn’t have written such fine works. Creativity derives from any source and the jealous whispering from scholars – and this movie – shouldn’t be taken too seriously.
Despite its dodgy guess-work, Anonymous benefits from some excellent production design and superb costuming. These successfully draw the viewer into the various skulduggery and treachery at play with the finely cast actors adding much to their well-defined characters. The biggest surprise is this has all come from Emmerich’s hands – a Director not usually noted for his artistic endeavours. All credit to him for doing something different even if he tries too hard to present a convincing case.
Anonymous is a generally fine Elizabethan drama full of the pageantry one would expect. Like any fictional movie however it pays to look at the facts behind the fiction with this look at Shakespeare’s beginnings one worthy of further investigation.
Movie Review Rating 6 / 10
Movie Review by Patrick Moore
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