ANONYMOUS (A-)

Bottom Line: I think we all kind of expected to see an exceptional Elizabethan political thriller from the director of INDEPENDENCE DAY and GODZILLA. Right? Was it just me?! Talk about trying to reinvent yourself… Luscious set design, a haunting score, marvelous performances and a seedy underbelly of lies, betrayal and deceit make this a taut, political potboiler worth every penny. To ‘A’ or not to ‘A’ – there really is no question. I loved this tale of The Bard that won’t leave you bored.


Rated: PG-13
Starring: Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave, Joely Richardson, Sebastian Armesto, David Thewlis and Rafe Spall
Directed by: Roland Emmerich (INDEPENDENCE DAY, GODZILLA, THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW)
Running time: 130 minutes
Story: Set in the political snake-pit of Elizabethan England, Anonymous speculates on an issue that has for centuries intrigued academics and brilliant minds ranging from Mark Twain and Charles Dickens to Henry James and Sigmund Freud, namely: who was the author of the plays credited to William Shakespeare? Experts have debated, books have been written, and scholars have devoted their lives to protecting or debunking theories surrounding the authorship of the most renowned works in English literature. Anonymous poses one possible answer, focusing on a time when cloak-and-dagger political intrigue, illicit romances in the Royal Court, and the schemes of greedy nobles hungry for the power of the throne were exposed in the most unlikely of places: the London stage. (Sony Pictures)

Trailer: www.anonymous-movie.com