In case you missed the first couple of memos, this isn't exactly your grandmother's Shakespeare.
Three new character banners have been unveiled by The Weinstein Company for Ralph Fiennes' directorial debut, a reimagining of William Shakespeare's "Coriolanus" which combines modern warfare (aided by the work of "The Hurt Locker" and "Green Zone" cinematographer Barry Ackroyd) and classic Shakespearean language, courtesy of a script by John Logan ("Gladiator").
As well as helming, Fiennes also plays the titular character in a strong cast that includes Vanessa Redgrave, Jessica Chastain, Gerard Butler, Brian Cox and James Nesbitt. Word had originally pegged the film as a potential Oscar wildcard, especially the performance of Redgrave as Coriolanus' mother Volumnia, though that seems a bit far off now. Our own review described the flick as a "an assured film from an actor who nonetheless clearly demonstrates he knows that it takes more than just the art of acting to create a work of cinematic art" — a sentiment which seemingly comes across in these self-assured character banners.
The film is currently playing in limited release in New York and Los Angeles and will go into wide release on January 20th. [via FirstShowing]