I only give this beautiful gem nine stars because it could have been a lot longer and I wouldn't have cared in the least. I normally don't like Shakespearean acting, but this film is not only great, it's enlightening. Brilliantly written and equally acted, I carry a renewed love for Shakespearean theatre because for the first time I've been shown the great playwright as a human god instead of some capricious tyrant from Mount Olympus. Bravo to everyone involved!
13 Reviews
Why oh why!
helenworcester6 February 2023
The Scottish Play was a complete surprise to me. Delightful, creative, romantic and fun, and oh so much better than most of the mediocrity called movies these days.
Why hadn't I heard of The Scottish Play before? Why isn't this movie better known? Why wasn't it up for all kinds of awards? Why, oh why aren't there more movies like this? I can only hope that the writer and director ,Keith Boynton, becomes discovered by people with money and influence who can give his creative genius the limelight it deserves. May the ghost of Will Shakespeare appear before Hollywood producers and tell them about Keith Boynton!
Why hadn't I heard of The Scottish Play before? Why isn't this movie better known? Why wasn't it up for all kinds of awards? Why, oh why aren't there more movies like this? I can only hope that the writer and director ,Keith Boynton, becomes discovered by people with money and influence who can give his creative genius the limelight it deserves. May the ghost of Will Shakespeare appear before Hollywood producers and tell them about Keith Boynton!
Fun!!!
BandSAboutMovies16 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
In director and writer Keith Boynton's The Scottish Play, Sydney (Tina Benko) decides to escape the big world of Hollywood by heading to New England and acting in a Shakespeare festival. She likes her leading man Hugh (Geraint Wyn Davies) and gets along with the director Adam (Peter Mark Kendall). And then she meets William Shakespeare himself (Will Brill), who reveals to her that the curse of Macbeth is all the fault of his ghost, as he was never happy with what he wrote. He'll leave her production alone if she's open to some rewrites, however.
If you told me that this would be a movie that I'd find fun, funny and charming before I saw it, I'd have called you a fool. But after watching it -- actually I wouldn't be that rude, but I wouldn't expect to like this -- I really fell for it. It's a cute little concept, told well by a good cast and an interesting script.
I like the idea that someone from the outside -- not knowing that the bard himself was writing the new version -- would be upset that someone was messing with Macbeth. That's the conflict that drives this film, as well as gives an actress the chance to meet the playwrite that inspired so many stories of his own.
If you told me that this would be a movie that I'd find fun, funny and charming before I saw it, I'd have called you a fool. But after watching it -- actually I wouldn't be that rude, but I wouldn't expect to like this -- I really fell for it. It's a cute little concept, told well by a good cast and an interesting script.
I like the idea that someone from the outside -- not knowing that the bard himself was writing the new version -- would be upset that someone was messing with Macbeth. That's the conflict that drives this film, as well as gives an actress the chance to meet the playwrite that inspired so many stories of his own.
Perfectly executed
suzydobie6 December 2022
Theatre friends, Bard buffs, Macbeth mavens, iambic pentameter addicts and lovers of a classic rom-com in which all ends well, I beg you not to miss this lovely movie. Polymathic writer-director Keith Boynton brings a gentle and satisfying gem of a movie that is literate, lovely to look at and listen to, and purely enjoyable. Anyone who has worked or seen any New England theatre festival performance will feel right at home here. Every discipline in this movie, from writing to acting to directing to lights, sound, cinematography, location and sets, is exquisitely right. Shout out to the hilariously acted character of the stage manager! My new favorite Christmas movie. After all, A Christmas Carol is a ghost story, too.
Field of dreams for the stage
dlynch-9228229 August 2021
Unusual combination of strong and weak elements
joe-73427 May 2023
I don't think I've ever seen a movie that seemed so assured in certain aspects and so inept in others. The concept is good; the script--which faces the considerable challenge of providing clear and witty blank verse dialogue and credible additional scenes for Macbeth--is often excellent; the tough parts of the actress and the ghost are handled well; and the cinematography is often lovely.
On the other hand, the pacing is poor, especially in the sluggish first half, in ways that could easily have been corrected. On at least two occasions, one character relates to another what happened in the previous scene--explanation that's begging to be cut. The set-up should have been established much more quickly, leaving more time for the payoff--the rehearsals and the performance of the play within the movie--which are entertaining, when they finally arrive.
The editing is far too busy: too many cuts, too many different shots, too much cutting back and forth during stretches of dialogue--all rather exhausting, undermining some decent material.
Finally, the actor playing the 'charmingly awkward' young theater director is all awkward and no charm. Not his fault, I suspect; he's not right for the part, and it doesn't seem he got much help from the director.
This could have been a fine little movie; it's hard to understand how the people involved could have missed such glaring problems.
On the other hand, the pacing is poor, especially in the sluggish first half, in ways that could easily have been corrected. On at least two occasions, one character relates to another what happened in the previous scene--explanation that's begging to be cut. The set-up should have been established much more quickly, leaving more time for the payoff--the rehearsals and the performance of the play within the movie--which are entertaining, when they finally arrive.
The editing is far too busy: too many cuts, too many different shots, too much cutting back and forth during stretches of dialogue--all rather exhausting, undermining some decent material.
Finally, the actor playing the 'charmingly awkward' young theater director is all awkward and no charm. Not his fault, I suspect; he's not right for the part, and it doesn't seem he got much help from the director.
This could have been a fine little movie; it's hard to understand how the people involved could have missed such glaring problems.
If I ran Hollywood, this would be launched like a Marvel movie!
divinemsm54023 August 2021
As a lifelong theater geek, this film is balm for my soul! That being said, it's not really about "The Thea-tah", (to be read in pretentious upper-class snotty tones!), it's about what all great works of art are about--love, connection, and living fully in the brief flare of our bright hours on this spinning globe. Who better to encompass all that life in gorgeous language than the Bard? Apparently Keith Boynton, whose lines for Shakespeare in this beautiful film are virtually indistinguishable from Shakespeare's own. I eagerly await his next project, and am trying really, really hard not to hate him for being so damn young and so incredibly talented...
Lame fantasy
evening117 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
As much as I admired the performance of Tina Benko here as a 40ish actress who isn't very happy, I found that a lot else in this production fell flat.
Her fellow cast and crew members from a provincial production of "MacBeth" never stir up much interest, and that includes Adam (Peter Mark Kendall), the troupe's director. He looks far too young and green to be staging Shakespeare, and we don't care about him, despite all his screen time.
The whole thing with the Bard showing up to converse in Elizabethan with Ms. Benko's Sydney -- that's intriguing at first, but so much time and silliness is given over to the gimmick that it gets old quickly.
So we're supposed to buy that the "curse" associated with "MacBeth" is the legacy of old Will himself, that he wasn't satisfied with his brainchild, and wants to revise it. I'll admit there's a little interest to that idea, but the movie messes up greatly by failing to elucidate the nature of the rewrite. What we witness on stage is a confusing hodgepodge, and it seems that MacBeth survives. Tragedy, my foot! Ripoff!
Her fellow cast and crew members from a provincial production of "MacBeth" never stir up much interest, and that includes Adam (Peter Mark Kendall), the troupe's director. He looks far too young and green to be staging Shakespeare, and we don't care about him, despite all his screen time.
The whole thing with the Bard showing up to converse in Elizabethan with Ms. Benko's Sydney -- that's intriguing at first, but so much time and silliness is given over to the gimmick that it gets old quickly.
So we're supposed to buy that the "curse" associated with "MacBeth" is the legacy of old Will himself, that he wasn't satisfied with his brainchild, and wants to revise it. I'll admit there's a little interest to that idea, but the movie messes up greatly by failing to elucidate the nature of the rewrite. What we witness on stage is a confusing hodgepodge, and it seems that MacBeth survives. Tragedy, my foot! Ripoff!
Beautiful
drkavitha_k28 July 2021
10 Stars for the script and the acting.
calexquilt27 December 2022
Keith Boynton is wordsmith with a delicate touch, an eye for opportunity to interpret romance, magic, and to give the Bard a chance to revise his work. The cast played their parts to the hilt. I loved the film, and will revisit it with great joy. Boynton is truly a romantic at heart, with fresh breath of air!
As an aficionado of Shakespeare, I have to give Boynton high marks for his use of iambic pentameter: just right. The actors rose to the task of making the film a romantic reality. Believable at every turn. .
The film was too short for my liking, but that doesn't damper my marks for the best film I've seen in many a year.
As an aficionado of Shakespeare, I have to give Boynton high marks for his use of iambic pentameter: just right. The actors rose to the task of making the film a romantic reality. Believable at every turn. .
The film was too short for my liking, but that doesn't damper my marks for the best film I've seen in many a year.
Creatively Crafted
cindy_jetton27 December 2022
Keith Boynton has creatively crafted the words of The Scottish Play to the point that it absolutely delightful. Thinking outside of the box and imagining "what if" Shakespeare was really not satisfied with Macbeth. The cast was able to carry off the film perfectly. You will find yourself throughly entertained in this feel good movie then you will begin to think what if Shakespeare were really a ghost wanting to rewrite his plays. I can only imagine that he would be pleased with Boynton and decide that he could probably have not rewritten Macbeth any better himself. This would be a great play to share in a classroom to follow Macbeth then compare and contrast between the two.
Superlative entertainment
bardmore15 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Why I never heard of this gem is beyond me. As a Shakespeare aficionado I was naturally curious to see this film and could not have been more delighted. The acting is spot on, the premise is deliciously beguiling, and the dialogue is pure joy. There are scenes that bubble over with wit and imagination, and there are scenes that are especially moving, especially the farewell between Sydney and the Bard. No need for opulent costumes and massive sets...the script carries you along joyfully unmindful of the lack of the usual trappings of any film dealing with Shakespeare. I was sorry to see it end!
A little gem!
blue-9210524 October 2023
It is not necessary to be a specialist of Shakespeare
to enjoy this little gem.
It's beautifully filmed and acted.
I loved everything about this movie, the screenplay, the settings,
the dialogs, witty and also humorous.
The Shakespearean parts are just wonderfully crafted.
Keith Boynton has a real sense for space, light, as well as a
definite talent for writing scripts that are thought out of the box.
This is an uplifiting and clever movie.
Really, one of the best movies I have seen in years.
Highly recommended (sorry for the following, minimum characters required : highly recommended.)
It's beautifully filmed and acted.
I loved everything about this movie, the screenplay, the settings,
the dialogs, witty and also humorous.
The Shakespearean parts are just wonderfully crafted.
Keith Boynton has a real sense for space, light, as well as a
definite talent for writing scripts that are thought out of the box.
This is an uplifiting and clever movie.
Really, one of the best movies I have seen in years.
Highly recommended (sorry for the following, minimum characters required : highly recommended.)
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