Doesn't work, sorry.

Rating: 5/10 (1 November 2011)

Some stories don't translate to modernity completely, and Coriolanus is a sad example. This is not a movie for the common person, and would really only appeal to die hard Shakespeare fans. Director Ralph Finnes attempts to place the story of Coriolanus in the modern setting of contemporary Rome. So instead of chivalrous sword play, the actors duke it out with tanks and AK-47's. This is intercut with quiet segments bogged down by copious stilted dialogue in a thick Elizabethan voice. What results is a loud, incomprehensible mess that is physically and intellectually difficult to digest, and wholly unbelievable, given its modern setting.
Other filmmakers attempt to snap audiences out of a passive receptive mode of viewing by using unusual visual devices or atypical storytelling. A voice de-synched from the speaker, surrealist imagery, non-linear story lines; these distance the audience while simultaneously encouraging them to actively analyze the film. Coriolanus' is a one trick pony that relies on Shakespeare's eloquence to get it through.
Doesn't work, sorry. Because of the language, none of the characters has any distinct voice or characterization. If everyone wore a mask, you wouldn't be able to tell one character from another. It's unclear why the central event happens, and characters, lacking a rational modern motivation, end up as caricatures.
Performances by Vanessa Redgrave and Brian Cox stand out convincingly. You can't tell what they're saying, but conviction reads intelligibly enough on their faces.
It's freaking war - why don't they just shoot each other, instead of fighting with knives?? Sexual tension, intended or not, comes through quite thick; not that I complain. Enemies suddenly become friends for no apparent reason and vice versa. It works on the stage, but on the big screen it doesn't translate.
Unless you read the play you won't understand a darn thing; 5 out of 10. Screened at the Savannah Film Festival.