Film Review: Hamnet – a truly powerful film with unforgettable performances
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STARRING Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley, is a tragic drama adapted from the 2020 novel of the same name by Maggie O’Farrell.
Directed by Chloé Zhao, this incredibly powerful film focuses on the relationship between William Shakespeare and his wife Agnes. When their young son Hamnet dies at a young age, the couples’ relationship is tested as each navigates the grieving and mourning process in their own uncertain way. Receiving numerous award nominations, including a best actress Oscar nomination for Ireland’s Jessie Buckley, this beautifully harrowing film explores the complex themes of parenthood, love, grief and the transcendent power of art. Due to the subject matter, some may find the viewing experience to be a challenging two hours to endure, but the artistic mastery on display in cannot be denied.
The story begins with a young William Shakespeare first encountering the enchanting Agnes, a local girl who prefers the company of her Harris Hawk to that of other people. Not yet the world-renowned playwright, William is still capable of capturing Agnes’ imagination with his storytelling abilities. With a passionate relationship quickly blooming between the young couple, it is not long before Agnes finds herself pregnant with their first child, Susanna. Searching for new ways to provide for his family, William finds work writing for a theatre company in London. With Shakespeare’s career finally beginning to take flight, Agnes soon finds herself pregnant once more – this time with twins. Returning from work in London, William is overjoyed to be greeted by the arrival of Hamnet and Judith. However, it is not long before tragedy strikes and Hamnet dies at a young age. While both William and Agnes struggle to cope with this tragic loss, the event inspires Shakespeare to write his magnum opus:
The performances in have been the source of much excitement this awards season, with Jessie Buckley almost certain to come home with the Oscar next month. However, much has also been made of the apparent snub suffered by Paul Mescal in the Academy Award nominations. I can absolutely understand the outcry that followed the nominations’ announcement, as both Mescal and Buckley turned in equally impressive performances in this film. In fact, I would say this is Paul Mescal’s best performance so far and I actually found myself more moved by his performance than Buckley’s.
That is not to discredit Jessie Buckley’s performance in any way as the actress does, indeed, give a powerhouse performance as Agnes and I will be very happy to see her lift the little gold man on 15 March. The range of emotion captured by Buckley as a mother overwhelmed with grief and struggling to navigate the mourning process is uncomfortably believable and fascinatingly harrowing. Meanwhile, Mescal’s layered performance as William Shakespeare is just as compelling, though he is given less to do with his part.
My one complaint has less to do with the individual performances and more to do with the makeup and design of the characters. I will admit I do not know what Shakespeare looked like as a young man, but I know all too well exactly what Paul Mescal looks like because he appears with the same haircut and beard in nearly every role. Whether he’s playing a lovesick GAA player in Trinity College, a gladiator in ancient Rome or now, apparently, William Shakespeare in 16th century England, Mescal’s appearance has never once changed and I found that to be a major distraction in this film. He was simply too recognisable as Paul Mescal and this, despite a brilliant performance, made it difficult to believe him as William Shakespeare.
I couldn’t help but feel that if they had changed his haircut for once and gone with a more period accurate style, we might finally forget him as Connell from and see the talented young actor in a new light. Minor complaints aside, the rest of Hamnet is an undeniably accomplished piece of filmmaking. Director Chloé Zhao proves more than competent behind the camera as she creates an incredibly authentic world onscreen. Every room and sitting felt entirely real and lived in, as though the cold and damp were escaping the screen and filling the cinema.
Speaking of, the theatre scene at the film’s climax is one of the most moving sequences put to film this year. When a distraught Agnes finally understands the power of her husband’s work as she joins a captivated audience watching Shakespeare’s unfold onstage, the full impact of the film begins to sink in. In a sense, the scene breaks the fourth wall as we in the cinema audience find ourselves just as invested in the exploits onstage as the audience in the Globe Theatre did 400 years ago.
Overall, is a truly powerful film with unforgettable performances and a hugely important message. While some may find the viewing experience somewhat challenging due to the heavy subject matter, I believe the film is essential viewing and will, no doubt, be shown in schools as part of the curriculum before long. Exploring themes of family, grief and the healing and transcendent power of art, Hamnet is a beautifully human story and one that is sure to remain in conversation for weeks and years to come.
