Anger's His Meat

Rating: 5/10 (9 July 2014)

As a first-time director, Ralph Fiennes gives a good account of himself in a challenging production, but is under-served by two sources from whom one expects better: Fiennes the actor and William Shakespeare the scenarist.
Caius Martius (Fiennes) is a proud Roman, rather overmuch in the minds of many of his compatriots. In the midst of a war Martius is doing much to win, a conspiracy takes root to displace him of his high station in Roman society. Despite counsel of his mother Volumnia (Vanessa Redgrave) and patrician friend Menenius (Brian Cox), Martius' knack for blowing up at the wrong time proves his Achilles heel.
"Coriolanus" is one of Shakespeare's more interesting problem plays, articulating an elitist attitude that seems designed to annoy inhabitants of future democracies. Either you accept Martius's contempt for the people he serves, or you relish his undeserved downfall as the result of excess pride.
Fiennes doesn't try to recast the story in a more populist way, even as he repositions the story in a modern setting and employs the use of hand-held cameras and TV studio sets. A CNN-style network, Fidelis, provides the same role as messengers do in the original play. Combat takes place using automatic weapons in a style reminiscent of a "Call Of Duty" video game.
This all works better than I expected, grounding the play in a way it needs and doesn't have in the writing. Nice work is offered by the supporting players, particularly Cox, who plays Menenius as sage and crafty with a nicely understated delivery. My favorite line in this film is a simple one he delivers over his shoulder late in the film: "I'll undertake it."
What is wrong with the film is mainly the fact Shakespeare wasn't at his best here spinning the story. There is a rather simple plot, more a character piece where the character in question performs two 180s in two acts. Fiennes and writer John Logan employ some useful trims, but they still leave alone some rare clams from the Bard, like Volumnia's raging cry: "Anger's my meat!" and Martius's "O, a kiss/Long as my exile, sweet as my revenge."
Playing Martius, Fiennes ranges between two poles, those of soft-voiced underplaying, such as at his entrance; and hammy, spittle-flecked ranting, like when he has his showdown with the people of Rome. This makes empathy for an already difficult character much harder. "Bolder, but not so subtle," is how his enemy Aufidius (Gerard Butler) describes him, and boy, is he not kidding. After a while it kinda grates.
The Shakespearean language doesn't add or subtract from the overall experience. It never quite feels natural. If you know what is happening, and Fiennes the director does a good job making it clear, you can glom onto what the various characters are saying easily enough, and enjoy the way they play with their deliveries. It's a good cast, even if no one puts forward their best work. Redgrave's entirely too gentle in the role of fire-eating Volumnia, but she has her moments.
It's that kind of film, really. I ended up watching it again for this review in installments because even at just over two hours I found it a bit much to absorb in one sitting. I suggest you do the same; it's a decent time-passer if not something to leave an impression.