Wow! Such a good movie.

Expected more

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Having lately seen Kevin Spacey's marvellous 'King Richard III' at London's Old Vic (on Broadway in a month or two) I had to see again this splendid exploration of Shakespeare, Richard and the wariness by the American public of WS and the phobic approach to his work of some actors. Yet years ago Brando joined John Gielgud and James Mason to play a thrilling Mark Antony in Mankiewicz's 'Julius Caesar', and here an American cast show themselves fine Shakespearean actors. Spacey (young and handsome!) is most enjoyable as Richard's conniving spin=doctor, Buckingham, and in his inevitably fragmented portrayal Pacino shows what a dark, deadly and witty Crookback he would be - on film or stage.

I have to study Richard III and Looking For Richard for school and, lucky for me I like Shakespeare so I understand it. When I was told we were studying Looking For Richard as well, I was skeptical because often the English staff choose bad movies but I really did enjoy this film immensely.Al Pacino had a brilliant idea to try and make Shakespeare more accessible to the modern public, more so the modern American public and he does a brilliant job of this. It is different though because he does not really change it too much.The cast is also very good and contains a number of famous names. Even though I have to study this film for an English class I would gladly watch this film anyway which is a testament to the film. Absolutely fantastic.

A wonderful film in my experience. An American team of players and directors trying to dig into the material of an unpopular play by Shakespeare, telling the story of one of the least popular kings in the chain of kings. Richard III. To follow the search for the soul in this play, and to try to understand the story, is the object of these persons' hunt. Al Pacino is Pacino, walking around in baggy clothes being Pacino Himself. Still, he manage to always be intensely interested in digging into the bones of the story. Maybe he don't success truly in this, still he manage to show the sentral scenes of this play in a dramatic new and powerful way. The scenes of this film switch between artists reading in modern environments, interwievs with British Shakespearian educated players, and scenes with full dramatic costumes. From Richard III in this film, one of the scenes that made me shiver was the one where Richard pretends to be "hexed" by some people close to him, and get people in his own ranks to be arrested and executed, in pure paranoia, or just to get rid of them. From that scene and on he went to his own undergang. Al Pacino is turning into this pathetic, mean man, a hunchback in this play as well (according to history). In the end, Richard stand alone, and cry for "A horse!!!!" ....."My kingdom for a horse ...". And in this scene Pacino manage to show the downfall of Richard. Even if the play failes to tell why the Tudors killed him. This film is about the play by the Bard. Not a history lesson.I should explain much better why I love this film so much. It's hard for me to explain the feeling this film gave me, and to my old parents. We knew the play, we have The Complete Works. But would never be snobbish about Shakespeare. I can't give a better explanation than this film showed me clever, extremely gifted people doing a very decent and heartfelt, even not brilliant, peace of work. I love it.

Shakespeare In Love? Mr. Pacino et al are in love with Shakespeare, truly, madly, deeply and thank God for that. While Canada's Stratford Festival began fifty-two years ago with decidedly Royal Shakespeare Company pretensions, while searching for its audience, voice and unique identity, (Alec Guinness opened the Festival in 1953 with a brilliant Richard III)it has staged some incredible interpretations of the canon with performances by British, American, as well as then unknown young Canadian actors including Christopher Plummer and my God, in truth, I once watched a young kid named Wm. Shatner from Montreal literally inhabit Prince Hal in Henry IV, I and II, with dynamism, boldness, wit, intelligence and unbridled energy. In Canada, Stratford has near singlehandedly made Shakespeare accessible and understandable, without condescension, in part through its inexpensive programs tailored especially for schools and the near messianic spirit of making the majesty of Shakepeare's English intelligible, in essence transcending the four century 'divide' with visually stunning,sometimes controversial but most often gratifying entertainments. Kudos to Al Pacino and company for undertaking their quest in America. Looking For Richard is truly a revelation. I always suspected that beneath the Method breathed the soul of a great, but frustrated artist, who seemed always to be searching for ...himself? How absolutely courageous and generous of Al and his colleagues to invite to share in their journey of discovery. This is not and was not ever meant to be another film version of the play. It is about becoming...