What's Done is Done

Rating: 7/10 (7 August 2016)

Justin Kurzel's fresh take on the classic Shakespeare drama boasts two breathtakingly good performances from Cotillard and Fassbender, which is more than enough to overcome the unnecessarily flamboyant direction.
For someone who isn't at all into any of Shakespeare's classic tales, I was intrigued with this project for merely two reasons; Marion Cotillard and Michael Fassbender. Not only was I enthralled by both of their turns, but I enjoyed the different take on a story that has been redone so many times. Kurzel chose to take a much more visceral and experimental approach with the storytelling, and for the most part, it works. It took me awhile before I became accustomed to Kurzel's style, but it proved to create more of an emotional backbone to what is already a heavy story.
Fassbender, who has found such a nice balance in starring in blockbusters and indies, gives another astounding performance as the troubled title character. He effortlessly demonstrates Macbeth's confidence while also adding in vulnerability to his paranoia. If marketed more, this could have been another nomination for Fassbender. On the other-hand, Cotillard also had her hands full with the meaty role of Lady Macbeth, but she holds her own with Fassbender, constantly nailing the difficult Shakespearean dialogue.
As previously mentioned, you do feel a strong presence of Kurzel's visual flare here and I think there is valid argument to make that it tarnishes some aspects of the story. For the first 30 minutes or so, the choppy editing and strange visual cues Kurzel uses didn't enhance my viewing experience. It wasn't really until I dug my teeth into this particular interpretation of these characters that I began to care for the stylistic storytelling.
Overall, it's not a usual adaption but nor is it one that I would want to sit through more than once. It is, however, a visceral experience (unlike many Shakespeare adaptations) led by two Oscar caliber performances.
+Cotillard and Fassbender are powerful
+Kurzel's style grew on me
-Takes time to get going
7.8/10