Good, but spoilt for me...

Rating: 6/10 (23 August 2013)

...due to the presence of Ralph Fiennes as not only the main actor but the director as well. I'm no great fan of Fiennes: I just don't "get" the guy, and find his coldness repellent in whatever role he's in (even in those where it's suited to the character, like in RED DRAGON). His arty whispering and wide-eyed staring leave me equally cold. I appreciate his peers like Daniel Day-Lewis, who have the uncanny ability to inhabit each role they're in, but I'm no fan of Fiennes. The guy is overrated, pure and simple, and I've disliked him ever since I saw THE English PATIENT in cinemas way back when.
Apart from Fiennes, this Shakespeare adaption is decent. The idea to relocate the story in time from ancient to futuristic Rome is a great one, as I'm always a fan of updating the bard and reworking his plays for contemporary audiences. Coriolanus is one of his least well-known works so I enjoyed the twists and turns as the tale progressed. Fiennes is a better director than he is actor, delivering some blistering war scenes and a great one-on-one fight along the way. Who'd expect that from a Shakespeare movie?
Unfortunately, the decision was made to cast some equally cold and mannered actors alongside the star, so we're saddled with a dull Vanessa Redgrave and an out-of-place Jessica Chastain, who spends the whole time struggling to master the dialogue instead of living the role. The supporting male cast are better, including Brian Cox and James Nesbitt, and the real surprise is Gerard Butler, who really takes to the material and comes across as very natural in the part - who would have thought it?