Kenneth Branagh

Plot After the Globe Theatre burns down in 1613 during a performance of Shakespeare's play Henry VIII, William Shakespeare, aged 49, returns home from London to Stratford-upon-Avon to rejoin his wife, Anne Hathaway. Shakespeare and Anne have a distant relationship, as he has spent most of their marriage working in London, and she is a down-to-earth country woman who cannot read or write. Their marriage has never recovered from the death of their son Hamnet, aged 11, of plague in Stratford, while his father was in London. While they also have two daughters, Hamnet was Shakespeare's favorite child, especially because of the poems which he believes the child wrote. Shakespeare now devotes his time to tending to the family garden. In spite of his hard work he is not very successful. The Shakespeares' elder daughter Susanna is married to a doctor named John Hall, who is a prominent Puritan in town. Susanna has to stifle her independence and her own personality to live by her husband's moral codes. She is accused of committing adultery and faces a public trial. Shakespeare terrifies her accuser by claiming that he knows an African actor who was once in love with Susanna and who would kill anyone who ruined her good name. The accuser fails to attend the hearing, as a consequence of which Susanna is acquitted. Anne is impressed by her husband's actions, especially as she knows that he was lying, the African actor was a gentle person who would never harm anyone. Shakespeare's younger daughter, Judith (Hamnet's twin), is outspoken in her doubts about the role of women in Jacobean England. She has not been allowed to have an education or opportunities in life, because it is expected she will marry and provide children. She has refused to marry and is bitter at her father for not loving her as much as her dead brother. One night during an argument, Judith confesses to Shakespeare that it was she who wrote the poems, rather than her brother. They were in Hamnet's handwriting because Judith cannot read or write and dictated them to him. Anne agrees that Hamnet was not especially intelligent; they have hidden this from Shakespeare so he would be able to keep his fond memories. The Shakespeares receive a visit from the Earl of Southampton, Shakespeare's former literary patron, to whom he wrote his 154 sonnets. This upsets Anne; she is aware of rumors that William and Southampton were lovers. While drinking with Southampton, Shakespeare recites his Sonnet 29, expressing his feelings for Southampton and hoping that Southampton felt the same way about him. Southampton cuts off the conversation and seems uncomfortable but as he leaves he also recites Sonnet 29, indicating to Shakespeare that he did have feelings for him. After some time at home, Shakespeare and Anne grow closer and develop a mature relationship. Anne ultimately allows her husband to sleep with her in the family's second-best bed (the best bed is reserved for guests). Having fallen back in love with Anne, Shakespeare amends his will to make sure that she will receive this bed. Now that the truth has been told about the poems, Judith also develops a warmer relationship with her father. She agrees to marry a local man, Thomas Quiney, who has been her suitor for some time. Quiney's reputation is damaged when his former sweetheart gives birth to his illegitimate child and the baby and mother die during labor. Judith becomes pregnant by Quiney, much to Shakespeare's delight. While researching, Shakespeare discovers that there was no notable plague outbreak in 1596, the year that Hamnet died. He becomes suspicious and questions his family. Anne tries to convince him that Hamnet died of plague but Judith confesses the truth. One day as a child, Judith told her brother that she was going to reveal the truth to their father, that Hamnet did not write the poems. That night, Hamnet went missing. He was found in a nearby pond, having drowned, with the copies of the poems in the water with him. Hamnet would never normally enter the pond and so Anne and Judith suspect he committed suicide. The women covered it up, and told everyone that the boy had died of plague. Although it is an emotional revelation, the truth allows Shakespeare to finally come to terms with his son's death and to accept a more honest memory of the boy. In April 1616 Shakespeare's fellow playwright Ben Jonson visits him and they reminisce about their lives. On the 23rd of April, Shakespeare's fifty-second birthday, he is feeling unwell. His wife and daughters gather to present him with a surprise. Susanna has been teaching Anne and Judith how to read and write. Susanna has found the Shakespeares' marriage certificate and Anne finally signs her name, where previously she had only been able to sign with an "X". Shakespeare dies that day. At his funeral, the three women recite the song "Fear No More" from Shakespeare's play Cymbeline. They are now all able to read.

In Spain 1519, two con artists, Tulio (Kevin Kline) and Miguel (Kenneth Branagh) win a map to the legendary City of Gold, El Dorado, in a rigged gambling match. Tulio and Miguel were playing with a loaded dice and won every hand. The rivals were broke and offered them a map for the last bet. Miguel recognizes the map as instructions to the lost city of El Dorado. They end up winning the map fairly, when the rivals change the dice and force them to use their dice instead. Tulio is the strategic planner, often becoming anxious and overthinking things. Miguel is more relaxed and laid-back in contrast to Tulio's more frantic nature. Tulio and Miguel are accused of cheating with loaded dice when Tulio gets down to pick up the winnings, the loaded dice falls out to the ground. The two evade capture as they both pretend that they were lied to by each other and pretend to fight for their own honor. This was only a ruse to get on top of a roof, from where the duo make their escape. They encounter a bull as soon as they get down from the roof on the other side. While getting chased by a bull and hide in water barrels, which are shortly loaded onto one of the ships to be led by Hernan Cortes (Jim Cummings) to the New World. Cortes is the merciless and ambitious conquistador leader of the expedition to find gold from the empires of the New World. The duo tries to escape from the barrels before the ship sets sail, but a huge box is placed on top of the barrels, and they are trapped. During the trip, they are caught as stowaways. Cortes says that they will be flogged and when the ship enters Cuba for resupply, and they will be enslaved on sugar plantations for the rest of their lives. Altivo is Cortes' horse and was looking for an apple that fell into the brig. Miguel lures Altivo to the brig with the apple and then uses it to bring them a pry bar, but Altivo gives them the keys to the brig instead. Tulio and Miguel manage to break free and take a rowboat with the help of Cortes' horse, Altivo (Frank Welker), in the middle of the night when everybody is asleep. While leaving, Miguel gives Altivo his apple, but the apple strikes the sails and falls into the water, and a hungry Altivo jumps in after it. Miguel and Tulio have no choice but to rescue the horse from the ocean. Altivo is a hungry horse and eats all of their food supplies, leaving Tulio and Miguel to row the longboat. They survive ferocious storms and have nothing to eat or drink. As the 2 friends accept their fate and say their goodbyes to each other, they land at an unknown shore. Soon, Miguel begins to recognize landmarks that are stated on the map starting with a stone shaped like an eagle's head, the shadow of an eagle, a weeping face, a dragon, etc. Tulio wanted to return to the boat, but Miguel lures him with the dreams of untold wealth in the City of Gold. The map leads them to final marker, a stone Stele bearing an image of the Divinities of El Dorado and their steed, which closely resemble Tulio, Miguel and Altivo. The Stele is located outside of a waterfall where a young woman named Chel approaches them, chased by a number of guards. The guards see the image of Tulio and Miguel riding Altivo as the same on the totem, and believing them to be Gods, escort them and the woman under the falls and into El Dorado, truly a city made of gold. Tulio and Miguel are brought to the city's elders, Chief Tannabok (Edward James Olmos) and Tzekel-Kan (Armand Assante) the fanatically vicious high priest who has a religious fixation for human sacrifices. While Tannabok warmly welcomes them to the city, Tzekel-Kan mainly sees them as a way to enhance his own standing. The pair are mistaken for gods when a volcano coincidentally erupts (when they get angry) but simultaneously stops (when they cool down) during an argument. Tzekel-Kan accuses Chel of being a temple thief, but she claims that she wanted to welcome the Gods into the city. Tulio orders Tzekel-Kan to release her into their custody. After celebrations offered by both Tannabok and Tzekel-Kan, the two are taken to private quarters along with the woman they met earlier, Chel (Rosie Perez), who has seen through their ploy but offers to help maintain it as long as they take her with them when they leave. The guys realize that they need Chel as they don't know any of the local customs, which they would be expected to know as Gods. Tulio is attracted to Chel. The two are showered with gifts of gold from Tannabok but disapprove of Tzekel-Kan attempting to sacrifice a civilian at the Gods' ritual. Tulio tells Tannabok the next day that they are only here for a visit but will need a boat to leave the city with the gifts the city has showered upon them. Tannabok says it will take them at least three days to construct a vessel to carry both them and the gifts given to them by the people of El Dorado. Meanwhile, Cortes has landed on the same beach and finds the longboat. He starts tracking the duo's path through the forest. Chel gets romantically close to Tulio while Miguel explores the city, coming to appreciate the peaceful life embraced by the citizens. Miguel realizes that Tzekel-Kan has been giving orders on behalf of the Gods, ruling the city by proxy. Tzekel-Kan tells Tulio that humans are imperfect, and they will never respect the Gods till they fear them. Tzekel-Kan wants to sacrifice the human offenders, but Tulio says that he will only decide after consulting with Miguel. When Tzekel-Kan sees Miguel playing a ball game with children, he demands that the Gods play against the city's best players. During the match, Tulio and Miguel are clearly over-matched, but Chel replaces the ball with a rolled-up armadillo, allowing the two to cheat and win the game. However, when Tzekel-Kan offers to have the defeated players put to death, Miguel orders him to leave the city and says that the city has no need for Tzekel-Kan anymore. As he is leaving, Tzekel-Kan sees a small cut on Miguel's forehead and realizes that they are not Gods because Gods do not bleed. The two friends are now drifting apart: Miguel, in an interview with the Chief about the ship, reveals he really wants to stay, and Tulio, increasingly in love with Chel, wants to take her and the gold and leave. Tannabok indicates to Miguel that he knows that Miguel and Tulio are not Gods and invites Miguel to stay forever, if that is what he desires. Afterward, Miguel, who has reconsidered leaving the city, overhears Tulio telling Chel that he would like her to come with them to Spain before adding he would like her to come with specifically him and to forget Miguel, straining the relationship between the two. At a party being thrown for them, Miguel and Tulio begin to argue about Tulio and Chel's conversation and Miguel's desire to stay. Tzekel-Kan conjures a giant stone jaguar to chase them through the city. Tzekel-Kan controls the jaguar as the stone animal mimics all of Tzekel-Kan's actions and through the jaguar's eyes, Tzekel-Kan can see what it sees. Tulio and Miguel manage to outwit the stone jaguar, causing both it and Tzekel-Kan to fall into a giant whirlpool, thought to be the entrance to Xibalba, the spirit world. Tzekel-Kan comes to outside El Dorado, where Cortes and his men are searching for gold. Thinking Cortes is a true God, Tzekel-Kan quickly offers to lead them to El Dorado. With their boat completed and loaded with treasures, Tulio is ready to leave but Miguel announces that he will be staying because he finds the city peaceful. As Tulio and Chel start to leave, they spot smoke on the horizon, realizing that Cortes and his men are approaching the city with the help from Tzekel-Kan. To protect the city from the Spanish troops, Tulio determines they can use the boat to slam against rock formations under the waterfall path that will cave in and block access to the city. The city residents pull down a large statue to create a wave to propel the boat, but Tulio cannot get the sails up to give the boat enough speed to avoid the statue. Miguel forgoes his chance to stay in the city and jumps into the boat with Altivo to finish hoisting the sails. The boat clears the statue in time, and Tulio's plan is successful. Though the boat and its treasures are lost, the entrance to El Dorado is sealed for good. Tulio, Miguel, Chel, and Altivo hide as Tzekel-Kan brings Cortes and his men towards the waterfall. Once Tzekal-Kan finds out that the entrance has been blocked, an angry Cortes takes this as a lie. Cortes and his men then march away with a humiliated Tzekel-Kan in their hands. Tulio, Miguel, and Chel, though disappointed they lost their treasure, take off in a different direction for a new adventure, unaware that Altivo still wears the golden horseshoes he was outfitted with in the city.

Longing to have a baby, a sterile 1930s Bostonian hires a man to impregnate his wife. Father Michael McKinnon goes from the U.K. to Boston circa 1935. For unknown reasons, he avoids at all costs the most prominent parishioners, Arthur and Eleanor Barret. Meanwhile, Eleanor and Arthur desperately want to have a child, but Arthur is sterile, so they hire Harvard law student Roger Martin to impregnate Eleanor, but unfortunately Roger falls in love with her.

Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, returns home to find his father murdered and his mother remarrying the murderer, his uncle. Meanwhile, war is brewing. Hamlet (Sir Kenneth Branagh), son of the King of Denmark (Brian Blessed), is summoned home for his father's funeral and his mother Gertrude's (Julie Christie's) wedding to his uncle Claudius (Sir Derek Jacobi). In a supernatural episode, he discovers that his uncle, who he hates anyway, murdered his father. In an incredibly convoluted plot, the most complicated and most interesting in all literature, he manages to (impossible to put this in exact order) feign (or perhaps not to feign) madness, murder the "Prime Minister", love and then unlove an innocent who he drives to madness, plot and then unplot against the uncle, direct a play within a play, successfully conspire against the lives of two well-meaning friends, and finally take his revenge on the uncle, but only at the cost of almost every life on-stage, including his own and his mother's. —John Brosseau <brossj5683@aol.com>

The Moorish General Othello is manipulated into thinking that his new wife Desdemona has been carrying on an affair with his Lieutenant Michael Cassio, when in reality, it is all part of the scheme of a bitter Ensign named Iago. Iago convinces Othello, The Moor of Venice that his wife, Desdemona has been unfaithful. Iago is an evil, manipulative character with his own agenda. A plot of jealousy and rage transpires in this classic Shakespearean tale. —Jason Ihle <jrihl@conncoll.edu>

Victor Frankenstein is obsessed with the idea of a man-made creation. But one night his Creature comes to life and so begins the nightmare that will engulf him and those he loves.

Don Pedro, prince of Medina (Denzel Washington), his resentful brother Don John (Keanu Reeves), and his noblemen Claudio (Robert Sean Leonard) and Benedick (screenwriter/director Kenneth Branagh) return from war, ready for merriment and love. Claudio loves Hero (Kate Beckinsale), the young daughter of the nobleman Leonato (Richard Briers), but Benedick hates Beatrice (Emma Thompson), Leonato's beautiful, witty, but sharp-tongued niece, who hates him back. Claudio and Hero are soon engaged; as they prepare for their wedding, they decide, with the help of Don Pedro, to trick Benedick and Beatrice into confessing their true love for each other. The plan works without a hitch, but trouble comes in the form of Don John, who is jealous of his brother's power and of his affection for Claudio. Don John devises a scheme where one of his lieutenants will make love to Hero's maid Margaret (Imelda Staunton) at Hero's window the night before the wedding--and call her Hero. Don John takes Don Pedro and Claudio to Leonato's house, where they see the encounter and are convinced the woman is Hero. The next day Claudio disgraces Hero publicly at the wedding and refuses to marry her. She faints and Leonato is persuaded to pretend that she is dead until the situation is sorted out. The foolish warden Dogberry (Michael Keaton) manages to arrest Don John's lieutenants and they confess to the plot. Claudio is crushed when he learns that he killed Hero with his false accusations. He begs Leonato to punish him and Leonato tells him his punishment is to marry his (other) niece, who closely resembles Hero. Claudio agrees but first spends a night mourning for Hero and proclaiming her innocence. Don John escapes Medina. The next morning Claudio marries the supposed niece, who removes her veil to reveal that she is Hero. They are very happy but Benedick and Beatrice almost break up when they discover they were tricked into admitting their love. In the end, Don John is arrested and brought back to face punishment, Benedick and Beatrice marry, and all dance around Leonato's garden singing "Noddy noddy."

New Years Eve, 1982 In England, we are introduced to Peter Morton (Stephen Fry), Andrew Benson (Kenneth Branagh), Roger Charleston (Hugh Laurie), Mary (Imelda Staunton), Maggie (Emma Thompson), and Sarah (Alphonsia Emmanuel), members of a Cambridge University acting troupe, who perform a silly and unconventional farewell revue for Peter's father (Richard Briers) and his unresponsive conservative guests at a New Year's Eve dinner ushering in the new year. They gather in the kitchen afterward and take a photograph to commemorate their last performance together. Ten years later; December 30, 1992. Peter has inherited his father's estate after Lord Morton's passing some months earlier. Uncertain if he will keep the mansion or sell it, Peter has invited his five friends for a New Year's Eve party for the weekend and convinces his stern housekeeper, Vera (Phyllida Law), to stay until the new year. Andrew, now a television writer/producer in Hollywood, California, flies to England with his American wife, Carol Benson (Rita Rudner), a famous actress and the star of his television comedy program. Roger and Mary are married TV commercial writers/producers living in suburban Birmingham, and she is worried about leaving their infant son, Ben, with a nanny. Frumpy Maggie, a struggling writer/publisher, asks an old lady neighbor of hers to look after her flat as she leaves pictures of herself for her pet cat, who appears unconcerned over her departure. On a train to Peter's estate, Sarah, now a costume designer living in London, has sex with her new lover, Brian (Tony Slattery), a stage actor that she works with in their cabin. The train arrives at the station where Sarah and Brian disembark and meet with Maggie, who has just arrived on the same train. Maggie, Sarah and Brian are soon greeted by Vera's teenage son, Paul (Alex Lowe), a chauffeur and handyman, who drives them to the estate, arriving just as Andrew and Carol arrive in a rented limo. Soon after, Roger and Mary arrive in their own car. Right after they arrive, Mary phones their nanny to check in. As everyone settles into their rooms, Sarah and Brian have sex once again, while Roger and Mary quarrel over whether she calls home too often. Meanwhile, Carol investigates Vera's cooking. Dismayed by the high-calorie rich food, Carol attempts to bribe Vera to accommodate her diet, to no avail. While Maggie and Andrew stroll the grounds, she reveals her lack of a love life. However, her company published a self-help book titled 'You May Already Know Your Mate', which claims friends can be marriage material. Although Maggie questions whether Peter is homosexual, she thinks he is the right man for her and plans to help him realize they should be together. At dinner, Carol and Sarah's boyfriend, Brian, both outsiders, are introduced to everyone, and Carol discovers that Brian is the only person who has seen her television show. As Peter toasts his friends, Brian and Sarah rudely ignore the others to focus on each other. She apologizes, claiming that she and Brian have not been together for very long and they get carried away with sex. As Mary excuses herself to call home yet again, Brian questions Roger about his work and learns that he and Mary are the top commercial jingle writers in England. When Mary returns, Brian asks if they use their twin children in their TV commercials. Mary rushes off crying and Brian learns that one of Roger and Mary's twins recently died. Later, as the friends drink coffee, Mary answers the telephone and announces that Brian's wife is calling. While he takes the call, Sarah reveals that he is married and has a child, but plans to divorce his wife. Although Sarah insists that Brian is different than her previous lovers, Mary is certain she is repeating her old pattern, and reminds everyone that Sarah was in love with Andrew until he dumped his girlfriend and asked Sarah to marry him, at which point she lost interest. This is news to Carol, who excuses herself. Brian returns and announces that he has just left his wife by telling her everything. Feeling vindicated, Sarah hugs him. Andrew joins his wife upstairs and Carol notes they planned to work out the difficulties in their marriage this weekend, and wonders why he never mentioned his past dalliance with Sarah. When he rejoins his friends downstairs, the group sings together again. Brian, left out of the singing, just watches. Minutes later, Mary receives a telephone call from the babysitter relating that her son has a slight cold, but the doctor says he is fine. Mary wants to leave, but Maggie convinces her to stay for the night and check on her son in the morning. Upstairs, Roger admits to Mary that although he still loves her, he has thought of ending their marriage because she blames him for their twin #1 son's death. Mary sobs that she knows she has been unreasonable, and Roger hugs her, promising to stay wit her. Meanwhile, Sarah is upset that Brian did not consult her before leaving his wife, noting they have only known each other for two weeks, and claims to be too tired to have sex with him. Later that night, Maggie goes to Peter's room, disrobes, and asks him to impregnate her. Peter is shocked and immediately turns her down. It is here that Peter reveals that he is bisexual, although he does not sleep with either men or women anymore. However, he insists that if he were having sex, Maggie would be high on his wish list. Embarrassed, Maggie begs him not to tell anyone. Downstairs in the kitchen, Maggie gets a drink and discovers Carol binge-eating leftover food. Maggie shares the story of her embarrassing visit to Peter's room, but believes there might still be hope since Peter is not sleeping with anyone. Carol insists Maggie is attractive beneath her frumpiness and offers to do a makeover, which Maggie accepts. The next morning, Carol leads Maggie into the kitchen, where Peter and Andrew admire her new look. Hearing sounds of lovemaking overhead, they assume it is Sarah and Brian. However, when Sarah enters the kitchen, everyone smiles as they realize the lovers are Roger and Mary. A little later, Carol receives a long-distance phone call from her agent in Hollywood and announces to Andrew and everyone else that she has been offered a film role which starts shooting right away on the day after New Years Day. Afterwards, Andrew asks if she will stay to work on their marriage, but she does not believe he will try. Outside, Sarah flirts with Vera's son, Paul, as he chops wood, but his attention is diverted when the newly made-over Maggie joins them. When Brian wanders outside, Sarah ignores him and rushes inside for a drink. She discovers that Andrew, a member of Alcoholics Anonymous, has abandoned his sobriety and is drinking whiskey. Andrew confides in Sarah that he thought his marriage to Carol would improve when they both stopped drinking, but everything became more complicated. He tells Sarah that she is addicted to romance, not reality, and that is why she abandons her lovers when they become available. A minute later, Sarah flirts with Andrew and as she kisses him, Carol walks into the room, sees them and becomes angry. She tells Andrew that she was going to refuse the film role, but now plans to leave again to catch the first plane back to California. Sarah heads upstairs, and sees Brian crying on the telephone as he talks to his son. When Brian joins her, Sarah admits the commitment issue is her problem and he should go back to his family. As she leaves, Sarah hears moans coming from Maggie's bedroom, and opens the door to discover Maggie having sex with Paul. Meanwhile, Roger and Mary continue to make love, and when the telephone rings, he wonders who is calling and Mary insists someone will let them know if it is for them. Downstairs, Peter helps Vera in the kitchen and learns she plans to retire. He wants her to stay if he keeps the house, but she declines because she disapproves of his lifestyle. Carol and Andrew have an argument where she declares that his unhappiness with himself is their primary marital problem, and she quickly packs up and leaves to return to Hollywood alone as the rented limo picks her up and drives away. Shortly afterword, Brian's wife picks him up in her car and they speed away. At dinner that evening, Roger and Mary join the others and admit they made love all day in their bedroom and only telephoned home twice. Andrew drunkenly joins the group where he profanely berates his friends, and turns his vitriol toward Peter, wondering if he invited them because everyone was having a difficult year and Peter wanted to "save" them. Here, Peter reveals he invited them because he wanted his closest friends to know that he was diagnosed as being HIV positive six months ago. Peter's sour revelation stuns everyone into heartbreaking silence as the midnight hour is upon them. As the clock strikes 12 midnight, Peter raises his glass and asks them to toast the new year of 1993. Peter's friends, Andrew, Roger, Mary, Maggie, and Sarah hesitate until Vera enters and toasts Peter. The others join the toast, and Andrew apologizes to everyone for his rude behavior. Peter reveals he does not have AIDS yet, and it is possible that a cure might be discovered in time to save him. Peter joins Vera in the kitchen and she asks why he did not tell her that he is HIV positive. Peter explains that he thought she, a highly religious person, would consider it a deserved punishment for his bisexual lifestyle, but Vera insists she has loved him since he was a child. In the final scene, Peter rejoins the others and brings out their funny group picture from 1982 (taken in the opening scene). The friends laugh as they sing together once again as the film ends.

When a mute, amnesiac woman turns up at an orphanage, private eye Mike Church looks into her identity but ends up finding a connection with a murder that occurred forty years ago.