All Is True is a film which comes directed by Kenneth Branagh who some may know as the director of 2015’s Cinderella. All Is True stars Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench.
Going in to see this film I wasn’t too sure that I really wanted to see it. While I do enjoy many of the Shakespeare plays as films, I wasn’t too sure about anything at all about the life of Shakespeare itself. I’d never really looked into it. All Is True is a look at the final days of the life of William Shakespeare.
Not knowing much about Shakespeare at all, this film did teach me quite a bit about his late life and what was going on there. For some reason I had thought that Shakespeare had no family at all going into the film but it turns out that actually he did have a wife and a daughter as well as a son who had died of the plague. The death of his son strongly affected Shakespeare and caused much of the drama in which this film’s plot addresses.
As a film on its own. The plot is okay, although I did find much of the subject matter about the death of the son, mixed with an ageing and close to death Shakespeare to be a little depressing. There’s not really an uplifting message in this film and about halfway through the film’s plot I had thought the point had been made, but we still had to sit there and watch it all drag on for some time. There is also some drama made about Shakespeare’s daughter and his relationship with her. As we know women weren’t as appreciated as much during that age and while he whines about his son being dead and how great he was, he overlooks how good his daughter is at times and much friction is caused in the family.
Although the plot is quite depressing I felt. There are some aspects of the film that can still be enjoyed. One of those is the atmosphere. This is quite a good film to watch on a cold and rainy day as much of the film’s setting is inside in a wooden made building lit bright by candlelight and fireplaces. It’s a nice cosy feeling that the film creates for the viewer.
Another high point of the film is the actors that you get to see in this. Kenneth Branagh, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen all are pretty good in the film. I’ve always enjoyed seeing these actors on the big screen as they always do a good job.
But overall I felt that All Is True was in general a bit of a depressing film experience. The main plot is filled with death and themes of dying and there’s not really anything uplifting about it. The actors are entertaining to watch and are all likeable. But in the end of it all I’d say this is something you’d be better off watching when it comes out on TV or any streaming services you’re subscribed to. It’s well made enough, it’s just, that there’s not much in it to make me say you should run out and see it this week.
