Why I’m Not Rushing to Watch Hamnet

It all goes back to that 1999 Best Actress Oscar

Photo by Nithin Joseph on Unsplash

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I’m intrigued by Jessie Buckley — really, I am.

When my news app kept feeding me articles about Jessie Buckley, I kept wondering, who is she?

And when I finally bothered to look her up on IMDB, I was surprised to see she was truly the chameleon that other writers were saying she was. For example, I never recognized her in the movie, Judy, as a prim and proper redhead who reminded me more of Rose Leslie.

I didn’t even realize that was her in the highly-rated drama series, Chernobyl, which was spearheaded by Jared Harris.

She’s like a female Daniel Day-Lewis. Just disappears into the roles she plays.

I’m intrigued by the work she seems to have done with Paul Mescal, love the texture of the costumes in the marketing photos plucked out of the film, and believe in her as an actress.

But what I’m not feeling too sure about is yet another origin movie about Shakespeare and his works.

Shakespeare in Love was already enough for me. I was nonplussed by this film and utterly disappointed when Gwyneth took home the Best Actress Oscar that year. She’s a lovely woman, but that Oscar should have gone to Fernande Montenegro for Central Station, if an Oscar truly was the mark of an award-winning performance and that of a strong marketing campaign.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s performance in that romantic romp did not hold a candle to what Fernanda Montenegro brought to the big screen in that Brazilian feature.

Central Station was understated yet heartbreaking, and to this day it remains one of the best films I have ever seen.

The Oscars in 1999, however, taught me that great films would go unsung in the face of snazzy campaigners like Harvey Weinstein.

I’m sure I’ll watch Hamnet, eventually. After all, being a former actor, who still has a solid Helena and Queen Anne monologue in her, years down the line, who’s not a sucker for strong storytelling?

But not today, folks, not today.

And they still should have given that Oscar to Fernanda Montenegro.

Lily C. Fen

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