Adrian Lester, Alfred Molina, Bryce Dallas Howard

Rosalind, the daughter of Duke Senior (the banished duke), is raised at the court of Duke Frederick (who is younger brother to Duke Senior and took over his dukedom), with her cousin Celia (daughter t...( read more  read more... )o Duke Frederick). She falls in love with a young man named Orlando, but before she can even think twice about it, she is banished by Duke Frederick, who threatens death if she comes near the court again. Celia, being Rosalind's best friend, goes with Rosalind (who is disguised as a boy, Ganymede) and Touchstone, the court's fool, to the forest of Arden. Upon their arrival in the forest, they happen upon Orlando and his manservant, who are fleeing the wrath of Orlando's eldest brother. What follows is an elaborate scheme devised by the cross-dressing Rosalind to find out the verity of Orlando's supposed passion for her, and to further capture his heart, through the witty and mischievous façade of Ganymede.

Flixster Users

49% liked it

4,419 ratings

Critics

31% liked it

13 critics

PG, 2 hrs. 7 min.

Directed by: Kenneth Branagh

Release Date: September 1, 2006

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DVD Release Date: September 25, 2007

Stats: 434 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (434)


  • July 23, 2008
    Here's one that snuck completely under my radar, probably because it was apparently made-for-HBO (which I don't have) and not released theatrically. I like Branagh, and I like Kline, but Bryce Dallas Howard in the lead? I'll pass... right?

    Well, I gave it a shot. Kenneth Br...( read more)anagh has successfully returned to the lighter side of Shakespeare for the first time since 1993's Much Ado About Nothing (Love's Labour's Lost is better left overlooked). He again shifts the setting, this time to 19th century Japan. An odd choice, but it kind of works.. once you get used to it. The acting across the board is top-notch, and unlike some other Shakespeare adaptations, they all sound completely natural reciting the dialogue.

    I do have problem with them expecting us to believe the other characters actually thinks she is a man (when all she's done is change her clothes), but I guess that's just one of those things you have to overlook and suspend disbelief.

    As for Bryce, she could not have been more perfect in the role. She is undeniably charming, handles the part masterfully, and is by far the best thing about the film. Maybe it's time to overlook her history of bad Shyamalan films and watch where her promising talent takes her.
  • March 18, 2009
    It started off promising but just got dull.
  • February 25, 2009
    I thought at first this was a deteriorating prank.Prithee be monsieur Branagh,for your academic hostility turned boomerang on your facade.Whereas there's love in the air,nectar onto the skin,passion is traveling on different routes.What's the secret ingredient to amuse the untrai...( read more)ned Shakespearean audience with a mediocre play by the bard?Don't ask me,ask Kline and Garai who seemed to be the 2 individuals who obviously acted.
  • November 9, 2007
    This has always been a favorite of mine from the Shakespeare collection. The beautiful and fascinating tale of Rosalind.
    This film adaptation was brilliant and cultural!
    Loved the music! Loved the scenery!
  • November 24, 2009
    Kenneth Branagh is such an inconsistent, self-conscious director it's pitiful. And he's not even directing himself in this one! As soon as I realized he had moved 'As You Like It' to Japan, I thought, 'Oh, this could be good.' I was wrong. The picture was shot entirely in England...( read more), and any Japanese influence hardly survives beyond the first scene.

    I would imagine names like 'Branagh' and 'Shakespeare' could draw a stronger cast than this, but based on the final product, maybe I shouldn't be so surprised (It did involuntarily go direct-to-HBO). Brian Blessed gives the only interesting performances of the bunch, playing both Duke Senior and Duke Frederick with striking sensitivity. It's not brilliant acting so much as simply being more amusing than anything else happening on screen. Doll-faced Bryce Dallas Howard is a saccharin Rosalind and proves she's no great actress, but it's Celia (Romola Garai) who's nearly impossible to watch, constantly mugging with the mock-energy of a community theatre reject. Even veterans Kevin Kline and Alfred Molina seem paralyzed by Branagh's direction, aimlessly voicing lines with all the conviction of marshmallows.

    Roger Lanser's pretentious film-school cinematography was perhaps the most laughable aspect, with the camera endlessly floating around and seeming to silently scream, "YOU'RE WATCHING A MOVIE. LOOK AT MY POETIC EYE - MY PHOTOGRAPHY IS A METAPHOR FOR WHAT THE CHARACTERS ARE FEELING."

    Ridiculous music cues, no sense of editorial pacing, and actors generally stumbling through Elizabethan verse round out the amateur quality of Branagh's comical adaptation. I'm confident it's difficult to translate Shakespeare's plays to the screen, but after Ken's majestic version of 'Hamlet,' I thought he could do better than this.
  • November 12, 2009
    Watching this movie was more like watching a theatrical performance, expect outdoors. The settings and costumes are so colourful and beautiful. The idea of setting the story in 19th century Japan was a bold one, but it works out well.
  • September 25, 2009
    William Shakespeare!!!!!!!!
  • September 18, 2009
    ....but first I have to read it.
  • July 12, 2009
    great Shakespeare's adaptation!! nice cinematography...love the scenes!
    great acting from the actors and actresses (love bryce dallas howard!) which kinda brought up the characters to life. btw, david oyelowo looks soo much like kamga!! lmao
  • June 25, 2009
    An excellent Shakespeare comedy. As usual no one does Shakespeare like Kenneth Branagh. Bryce Dallas Howards disguise as a man is extremely unconvincing but I got some good laughs out of this story.

Critic Reviews


September 21, 2007
Nigel Andrews, The Financial Times

Kenneth Branagh is in danger of becoming the next Kenneth Branagh, in a career of serial self-replication as our last unstoppable screen Shakespearean. full review

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As You Like It Trivia


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