CORIOLANUS directed by Ralph Fiennes, written by John Logan from the play by William Shakespeare, with Fiennes, Gerard Butler, Jessica Chastain, Brian Cox and Vanessa Redgrave. A D Films release. 123 minutes. Opens Friday (January 20). For venues and times, see Movies. Rating: NNNN
An actor best known for his stillness and focus, Ralph Fiennes proves a muscular, vivid filmmaker in his directorial debut, a modern updating of Shakespeare’s tragedy about a Roman general (Fiennes) and war hero whose refusal to play politics leads to his exile and eventual alliance with his mortal enemy (Gerard Butler) to avenge his banishment.
Fiennes has assembled a terrific cast – Vanessa Redgrave as his formidable mother, Jessica Chastain as his loyal wife and Brian Cox as a wily but ultimately noble politician – and given them their head, but the focus is rightly on his character, a ferocious warrior undone by his own integrity.
Barry Ackroyd, who shot The Hurt Locker and Green Zone, convincingly creates an alternate Rome in British and Serbian locations, and John Logan streamlines the play into a series of harsh confrontations, handing most of the formal exposition to media pundits. Sure, Baz Luhrmann did it 15 years ago in Romeo + Juliet, but a good device is a good device.
