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Jul. 27th, 2010 11:06 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
skygiantsMost people, I suspect, do not write their autobiographies when they are twenty-eight years old. But apparently 28-year-old Kenneth Branagh, who was trying to start up a theater company and was extremely cash-strapped, is the exception to this rule! Hence Beginnings. I am okay with this because it means I get to read an autobiography of Kenneth Branagh pre-all of Kenneth Branagh's worst life decisions (ex: Love's Labor's Lost, As You Like It, divorcing Emma Thompson.) Also, Phyllida Law, Emma Thompson's awesome mom, drew the pictures!
Okay, here's an embarrassing confession: Kenneth Branagh was totally one of my first celebrity crushes. Look, I was exposed to Much Ado About Nothing at a young age! These things happen! Older and wiser now, I recognize that there is a certain inherent lulziness of Kenneth Branagh's directing-and-acting style - and by the way, is anyone else extremely disappointed that Kenneth Branagh is not taking the starring role in Thor as well as directing? BECAUSE I AM - but I still cannot help but making eyehearts at Benedick and several other Baby Branagh roles. And the Baby Branagh autobiography was actually pretty charming! My favorite parts were probably when he was accused of acting Richard III like a Dalek, his constant grumping about people telling him he has a cherubic baby face/is destined to play policemen, and all the cameos from BRIAN BLESSED, alternately ragging on Branagh's directing style and expounding on how Claudius JUST WANTS TO GET LAID.
Anyway, so then obviously I had to go rewatch Much Ado About Nothing. And maybe take a few screencaps. And . . . well.
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Okay, here's an embarrassing confession: Kenneth Branagh was totally one of my first celebrity crushes. Look, I was exposed to Much Ado About Nothing at a young age! These things happen! Older and wiser now, I recognize that there is a certain inherent lulziness of Kenneth Branagh's directing-and-acting style - and by the way, is anyone else extremely disappointed that Kenneth Branagh is not taking the starring role in Thor as well as directing? BECAUSE I AM - but I still cannot help but making eyehearts at Benedick and several other Baby Branagh roles. And the Baby Branagh autobiography was actually pretty charming! My favorite parts were probably when he was accused of acting Richard III like a Dalek, his constant grumping about people telling him he has a cherubic baby face/is destined to play policemen, and all the cameos from BRIAN BLESSED, alternately ragging on Branagh's directing style and expounding on how Claudius JUST WANTS TO GET LAID.
Anyway, so then obviously I had to go rewatch Much Ado About Nothing. And maybe take a few screencaps. And . . . well.
Text:
Bases:
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no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 03:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 03:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 03:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 03:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 04:10 pm (UTC)*loves this play, and actually also adores the Branagh adaptation. Emma Thompson <3 <3 <3*
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Date: 2010-07-27 04:21 pm (UTC)EMMA THOMPSON IS AMAZING. *___* Also, I mean, Branagh has a totally over-the-top directing style but it only adds to the joy of the film! Bring on the lolarious fountain-hopping sequences. WHY NOT.
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Date: 2010-07-27 04:31 pm (UTC)His direction is why Much Ado is so awesome and Hamlet is so uneven - his style suits Much Ado perfectly, but there are parts of Hamlet that desperately need a lighter touch than he can give.
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Date: 2010-07-27 04:35 pm (UTC)Basically every time I see a shot now with a camera pulling up and out from an Emoting Figure while dramatic music swells, I think "BRANAGH!" and fall over laughing. You're absolutely right, it's perfect for Much Ado, which needs to be lulzy and over-the-top with half the cast causing dramatics for the sake of dramatics. Hamlet, not so much.
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Date: 2010-07-27 05:08 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 05:18 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 05:42 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 06:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 10:10 pm (UTC)Kenneth Branagh was one of my early crushes too, he's such a dork. Once I decide which icons to choose, I will snag some.
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Date: 2010-07-27 10:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-27 10:13 pm (UTC)OMFG ME TOO
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Date: 2010-07-27 10:14 pm (UTC)(I am also so disappoint that Brian Blessed is not Odin, as was initially discussed. SO. DISAPPOINT.)
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Date: 2010-07-28 12:39 am (UTC)marvelous.
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Date: 2010-07-28 01:52 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-28 03:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-28 12:56 am (UTC)Oh, how I need to get this movie on DVD. My only copy is in VHS and my VCR died many moons ago.
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Date: 2010-07-28 01:52 am (UTC)I bought it on DVD just recently, and the girl at the cash register went :DDDDDDD at me and started babbling about it as soon as I brought it up. Which made me go :DDDDDD also!
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Date: 2010-07-28 01:53 am (UTC)I wrote a paper on it in college, actually. Not a very good one, but I enjoyed it.
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Date: 2010-07-28 02:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-28 02:13 am (UTC)College was a long time ago! Much has fled.
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Date: 2010-07-28 02:15 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-07-28 02:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-18 07:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-11-18 02:47 pm (UTC)