Anonymous Review

Last week, I was lucky enough to go to an exclusive VIP pre-screening of Anonymous. Now, I won't give too much away-- the trailer alone leaves us with plenty of questions that need to be answered. But this is a film that is jam packed with an all-star cast who, quite literally, left me completely in awe with their talent and an amazing story line to keep anyone interested from beginning to end. The movie itself is, in fact, the ultimate portrayal of deception and vengeance, with so many plot twists, it was hard to keep up. To me, it may be one of the best movies of the year and if it doesn't get any award nominations, let's say I'll be more than just disappointed. There isn't one moment where you're not at the edge of your seat or wondering what will happen next. One thing that makes a movie for me that I love is tragedy (drama is nice too), and there's plenty of that in this one.

Besides the plot being completely earth-shattering, the cast was just astonishing. It's not the first time an incredible cast has been put together for a complex story. The performances of the actors in this motion picture were more than extraordinary. I will admit that I was not exactly surprised by Rhys Ifans, Vanessa Redgrave or David Thewlis' performances... These are actors who have won numerous awards and there's no way I will ever be surprised by their acting chops. The surprise did come from none other than Jamie Campbell Bower, Rafe Spall, Xavier Samuel and Sebastian Armesto whom basically owned a lot more screen time than they've probably been given in the past. It's refreshing to see Jamie and Xavier in such different roles from what they've played before and they deliver a truly excellent depiction of their characters. They're really going to be big stars and I can't wait to see what else they have in store for us. Rafe Spall makes an ideal William Shakespeare down to the womanizing and theatrical gestures (also, an admirable drunk). Then, finally, there's Sebastian. So much talent and he plays his role that is so heart-wrenching, it fills you with emotions you didn't even know you had in you.

There are so many adjectives in the English language that come to mind to describe this film. Incredible. Amazing. Surprising. Challenging. Smart. Witty... the list goes on and on. It's the ideal movie for any and every English, Literature, Poetry, Film and Theatre major. Or just anyone who genuinely enjoys cinematic adventures. There aren't many films that challenge and entertain us all at once. You unquestionably want to check this movie out when it's released on October 28th, 2011. You will not be disappointed.
Grade: A+