A Midsummer Night's Dream (2017 film)
| A Midsummer Night's Dream | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Casey Wilder Mott |
| Written by | Casey Wilder Mott |
| Based on | A Midsummer Night's Dream 1600 play by William Shakespeare |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Daniel Katz |
| Edited by |
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| Music by |
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Production companies |
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| Distributed by | Brainstorm Media |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
A Midsummer Night's Dream is a 2017 film adaptation of the play A Midsummer Night's Dream by William Shakespeare. The film is a modern rendition that relocates the story from ancient Athens to present-day Los Angeles.
Plot
[edit]The film follows the original play but is set in modern-day Los Angeles. Because of this, the film has minute changes to suit the new setting. Among them is the "rude mechanicals" who are depicted as filmmakers. Quince is now female and a romantic subplot is added between her and Nick Bottom. Duke Theseus is now a film producer with implied connections to the criminal underworld. The fairies are implied to be forest bohemians, though they still possess magic. Nick Bottom's transformation into an ass is taken quite literally in this version with his face turning into a butt, complete with fart noises.
While the film retains the original Shakespearian dialogue, it will occasionally add new dialogue, some of which reference Shakespeare's other works, for humorous effect.
Cast
[edit]- Lily Rabe as Helena
- Hamish Linklater as Lysander
- Finn Wittrock as Demetrius
- Rachael Leigh Cook as Hermia
- Fran Kranz as Bottom
- Avan Jogia as Puck
- Ted Levine as Duke Theseus
- Paz De La Huerta as Hippolyta
- Saul Williams as Oberon
- Mia Doi Todd as Titania
- Charity Wakefield as Quince
- Charlie Carver as Snout
- Max Carver as Snug
- Justine Lupe as Flute
Production
[edit]The film was adapted for the screen and directed by Casey Wilder Mott. The production companies were 5B Productions and Empyrean Pictures.[1]
The film's original soundtrack, composed by Mia Doi Todd, features guest appearances by Tunde Adebimpe, Cut Chemist, Dntel, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Dungen, and others.[citation needed]
Release and reception
[edit]A Midsummer Night's Dream premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival in June 2017,[2] where it received positive reviews.[3][4][5]
The film was acquired for a theatrical release by Brainstorm Media[6] and played at Landmark Theatres and other venues nationwide in the summer of 2018.
The film received generally positive reviews upon its theatrical opening.[7][8][9] On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, it holds an approval rating of 65%, based on 17 reviews with an average rating of 6.4/10.[10] Metacritic gives the film a weighted average score of 67 out of 100, based on 8 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[11]
References
[edit]- ^ McNary, Dave (April 23, 2016). "'Midsummer Night's Dream' Movie Stars Rachael Leigh Cook, Paz De La Huerta". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 25, 2018.
- ^ Erbland, Kate (May 9, 2017). "LAFF 2017 Announces Full Slate, Including Competition and Episodic Offerings". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Gibson, Bradley (June 17, 2017). "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Film Threat. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Linden, Sheri (June 17, 2017). "'A Midsummer Night's Dream': Film Review | LAFF 2017". The Hollywood Reporter. Prometheus Global Media. Retrieved May 21, 2018.
- ^ Lynn, Debbie. "LOS ANGELES FILM FESTIVAL 2017: MUST SEE FESTIVAL FILMS". Behind The Lens. Retrieved June 8, 2018.
- ^ Hipes, Patrick (December 1, 2017). "LA Film Festival Pic 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' Scores Brainstorm Media Deal". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Business Media. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Rechtshaffen, Michael (July 16, 2018). "Review: Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' charmingly recast in La La land". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ Harvey, Dennis (July 13, 2018). "Film Review: 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'". Variety. Penske Business Media. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ Allen, Nick (July 13, 2018). "A Midsummer Night's Dream Movie Review (2018) | Roger Ebert". RogerEbert.com. Ebert Digital LLC. Retrieved July 16, 2018.
- ^ "A Midsummer Night's Dream (2018)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ "A Midsummer Night's Dream (2018) Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved August 24, 2018.