**© Universal Pictures, Focus Features, Neal Street Productions and Amblin Entertainment**

Hamnet – Film Review

Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Emily Watson, Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe, Olivia Lynes, Bodhi Rae Breathnach

Director: Chloé Zhao

Synopsis: A fictional account of the tragic circumstances which led William Shakespeare to write his timeless masterpiece “Hamlet”…

Review: “To be, or not to be, that is the question.” It is one of the most instantly recognisable quotes from among the nearly 40 plays that make up the works of the great William Shakespeare. A line delivered in the third act, when the play’s protagonist is deeply contemplative, pondering whether to end his own life. A line so powerful that it has taken on a life of its own over the centuries since it was first written on parchment. What may have inspired one of the greatest writers in history to craft this line and, indeed, one of his most significant works? Enter Academy Award-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao with an equally compelling and tragically heart-wrenching interpretation of how one of the greatest writers who ever lived channelled his grief into creating a masterpiece.

After a prologue revealing that the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable, we meet a young William Shakespeare (Mescal) working as a Latin tutor at a local school, long before he became the renowned playwright history remembers him as. On one fateful day, he catches sight of Agnes (Buckley) practising falconry and quickly falls head over heels in love with her. Despite protests from their respective parents, they wed and swiftly consummate their union, with Agnes first giving birth to a daughter, Susanna, followed by twins Judith and Hamnet. As the children grow up, the bonds within the family strengthen, even as William begins to find success in London and is forced to spend time away from his family, making the moments he shares with his children, particularly Hamnet (remember the name Jacobi Jupe), all the more precious. This makes it all the more harrowing when tragedy strikes.

From a moving (and Oscar-winning) story about a woman who chooses to live as a modern-day nomad to the all-encompassing Marvel Cinematic Universe, to tell the (underappreciated) story of a group of all-powerful, immortal Marvel deities, to Shakespeare, Chloe Zhao’s filmography is undoubtedly eclectic. Yet there is a common theme that beats at the heart of all these films, exploring the humanity and spirit of people who, for one reason or another, find themselves cut adrift and/or isolated from society. Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell’s script (based on O’Farrell’s book of the same name) leans into this and patiently explores the loving and tender romance that develops between Will and Agnes. With one having the gift of the written word and the other a deep connection to the forest, they are isolated from their families, and their relationship feels wholly incompatible. It wouldst appear that opposites doth attracteth, and though their love and the love they have for their children blaze like wildfire, it is severely put to the test in a way that no parents should have to go through.

Grief is a shared experience, something we will all go through at some points in our lives, though it affects us in different ways. Zhao’s masterful and measured direction empowers her actors to deliver performances that are both subtle and profoundly moving. For a film that focuses on the life and one particular work of Shakespeare, he doesn’t have the most substantial amount of screen time. Nevertheless, Mescal delivers another captivating performance, capturing the emotion and humanity of the man and the wordsmith. With her husband out of the picture and away on business for a considerable portion of the film, it falls on Agnes to be the glue that binds the family together. Jessie Buckley is nothing short of sensational here and gives maybe her career-best performance. She captures the fierce maternal instinct of a mother who will stop at nothing to protect those closest to her. Yet, when something as potent as a deadly illness comes, she is completely powerless to stop it from claiming her child’s life. The emotion is raw, guttural, and she will split the audience’s hearts into a thousand pieces.

Such an unfathomable and devastating loss would severely test the most resolute and unbreakable bonds that hold a family together. How would one even begin to comprehend, make sense of their life and purpose, and process their sorrow? Despite her own unbearable pain, Agnes knows she must endure and be strong, if not for her own sake, then for the sake of her other children, even more so with her husband more distant than ever and lost in his own grief. Such grief serves as the inspiration for the creation of his ultimate tragedy, his timeless magnum opus, which forms the basis for the film’s poignant third act as the play is performed for the very first time, with Agnes in the audience.

With Fiona Crombie’s incredible production design to faithfully recreate the Globe Theatre, we see through Agnes’ eyes the anguish of the loss she has felt since his death, being released as fury and confusion as to why this latest play bears her son’s name. Yet, this dissipates when she begins to understand the play’s meaning, allowing for a moment of emotional release felt not just by Agnes, but by the whole crowd in the Elizabethan England theatre and the audience themselves. Max Richter’s emotionally resonant score features Elizabethan instruments to wonderful effect throughout, but it is the use of the composer’s most well-known piece that you will have heard in previous films that will have the tears flowing, unless thou art a robot. It is fitting that in the same way the Bard’s grief inspired him to create a literary masterpiece, the creation of that play has enabled another team of artists centuries later to create a masterpiece of the cinematic variety.

A deeply moving and human portrayal of the universal experience of grief and the everlasting power of art to help us understand and come to terms with our heartache and sorrow. A film destined to be as timeless as the works of the Bard himself.

Chernobyl – TV Miniseries Review

Main Cast: Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson, Jessie Buckley, Paul Ritter, Adam Nagaitis, Con O’Neill, Adrian Rawlins, Sam Troughton, Robert Emms, David Dencik, Alan Williams, Ralph Ineson, Barry Keoghan, Michael McElhatton

Showrunner: Craig Mazin

Synopsis: An account of the events leading up to the nuclear disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and the subsequent fallout of one of the deadliest man-made disasters in history…

Review: As human beings, our lives can so often be irreversibly impacted by natural disasters. Though we are powerless to prevent them from happening, preparations can be made to mitigate the damage and devastation that they leave in their wake. It’s a stark contrast to the numerous man-made disasters that we have seen throughout history, which have also had similarly deadly consequences. However, when you look at how the events transpired, it’s hard to overlook the fact that someone was responsible for allowing these atrocities to happen and how they could have very easily been prevented. One such disaster, arguably the worst man-made disaster in history, is that of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant explosion. A tragedy of incomprehensible fallout, captured with horrifying realism in this tense and devastating HBO miniseries.

Over the course of five nerve-shredding episodes, showrunner/writer Craig Mazin and director Johan Renck explore the disaster and its horrific aftermath. Firstly, recounting the night of the deadly disaster and the catalogue of errors that led to the fatal explosion. Following on from that, looking at the attempts by the Soviet government to contain the fallout from the disaster. You watch with disbelief as they seek to prevent the already horrific situation from spiralling into something much worse, at times with shocking degrees of negligence and recklessness. Before ultimately trying to establish how such a nuclear catastrophe on this scale could have ever happened in the first place. At numerous points throughout the series, this feels more like a documentary. This is largely down to the expert production design, which recreates the power plant and the surrounding neighbourhoods, which feel remarkably authentic.

Irrespective of whether you’re coming to the series as someone who knows everything about the disaster, or if you know the barest minimum, Mazin’s scripts expertly combine informative scientific facts with intense and devastating drama. With each episode, it’s made painstakingly clear to us all as to the full extent of the horrific nightmare that was unfolding, enabling the audience to process just how an event like this could have ever happened. With the exception of a few artistic liberties, Mazin’s scripts faithfully recreate how events unfolded, and the excellent writing is brilliantly combined with Johan Renck’s masterful direction. Each episode expertly blends genres such as the intense drama and the traumatic horror of those who were the first to be affected by the radiation, to those who were recruited for some extremely perilous missions. Furthermore, the crackling sound of a dosimeter going haywire is so unnerving, it may well invade your nightmares.

With brilliant writing, combined with expert direction, and along with Hildur Guðnadóttir’s haunting score, every member of this cast delivers sublime performances. However, the three who shine the brightest are the three characters whose arcs are the pillars of this miniseries, the biggest of those belongs to Jared Harris, who is exceptional as Valery Legasov. Drafted in by the Soviet government to lead the efforts to mitigate the effects of the tragedy, he’s not afraid to speak up, and the people in charge just sweep everything under the rug. By his side, Stellan Skarsgard is equally tremendous as Boris Scherbina, a Minister whose relationship with Legasov is initially frosty to say the least. However, as the two men work closely together, to combat the scale of the disaster they’re dealing with, it strengthens their relationship immeasurably. Last and certainly by no means last is Emily Watson’s stirring work as Ulana Khomyuk. A composite character serving as the embodiment of the countless number of scientists who worked to uncover the full truth behind this unimaginable tragedy.

The show serves as a tribute to all those brave souls who risked their lives to prevent the catastrophe from becoming even more cataclysmic than it already was. However, the central theme that beats at the heart of this miniseries is the extremely damaging effect that lies can have when a country is in the grip of a catastrophic event like the Chernobyl disaster. In the wake of a deadly catastrophe that has wreaked unimaginable havoc, electing to cover things up with lies and misinformation may seem like a good idea at the time. However, as was the case with Chernobyl, these lies and misinformation came at a substantial cost, which is still being felt today. This is something that the governments of today could and should definitely learn from, especially at a time when a global health crisis of a very different nature is ravaging the world.

Sublime work from every aspect of the production ensures that this gripping and heartbreaking drama, like the disaster it depicts, will never be forgotten. An essential, definitive look at one of the worst man-made disasters in history.