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Macbeth

Modern day Macbeth stumbles Down Under

By Geoff Berkshire, Metromix

July 27, 2007

Critic's Rating:

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You know how it goes: Macbeth (Sam Worthington) is poised for greatness and his wife (Victoria Hill) wants to ensure he achieves it, even if it means murder. But here’s the twist: This version is set in the contemporary criminal underworld of Melbourne, Australia.

Big question: Can Geoffrey Wright (director of Russell Crowe’s international breakthrough film, “Romper Stomper”) match the success of fellow Aussie Baz Luhrmann’s radical Shakespeare adaptation “Romeo + Juliet”?

Skip it: Overflowing with poorly executed gang movie clichés, this blood-splattered flick resembles those botched Quentin Tarantino rip-offs from the ‘90s. Lady Macbeth snorts coke, the three witches become skin-baring groupies and there’s a slow-motion gunfight climax. Shakespeare’s dialogue clashes badly with the surroundings, especially since most of the actors struggle with their delivery.

Catch it: If you want to get a sneak peak of Worthington, the star of James Cameron’s long-awaited next film, in action.

Bottom line: Successful only at zapping all substance out of Shakespeare’s work, the movie deserves credit for at least attempting to modernize a classic, but the end result won’t appeal to Shakespeare or mob film fans.

Bonus: Hill also collaborated on the screenplay with Wright, and served as co-producer. Let’s hope she was nicer to the crew than Lady Macbeth was to her husband.

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