'Thy Valiantness was Mine, Thou Suck'st It From Me. But Owe Thy Pride Thyself!'

Rating: Null/10 (20 September 2012)

Ralph Fiennes stars and directs this modernized Shakespearean adaptation. In order to stay true to its source, the language is mostly unchanged and it initially looks awkward watching people in the modern day speak in the old language (Baz Luhrmann's 'Romeo and Juliet' anyone?'). Even though I appreciate the performances, the delivery of the lines appear very theatrical. Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox are outstanding. While the former breathers fire into a role that demands a firm presence, the latter brilliantly downplays his part. Ralph Fiennes and Gerard Butler are both competent. Jessica Chastain holds her own in her final few sequences. Otherwise, as director Fiennes seems quite capable. The washed out look of the film does have its benefits but it's mostly Barry Akroyd's direction of photography that stands out especially in its creation of space. Overall, Fiennes's 'Coriolanus' may not have hit full mark but it's a respectable effort by the actor turned director.