Headline Simon Stone 111 min
Andrew Scott is on magnificent form as Chariots of Fire star Ian Charleson, fighting to revive his theatre career with Hamlet while navigating the backstage world of 1980s London and a private diagnosis of AIDS.
London, 1988. Ian Charleson is still best known for Chariots of Fire, the Oscar-winning 1981 film that made him a star. Determined to prove he is more than that one role, he jumps at the chance to play Hamlet at the National Theatre under the direction of Richard Eyre. Charismatic, witty and fiercely committed to his craft, he throws himself into the production, surrounded by some of the most exciting actors and artists of the era. Away from the stage, however, he is keeping his diagnosis of AIDS largely private.
Simon Stone captures the energy and camaraderie of the late-1980s theatre world, where rehearsals spill into late-night parties, friendships and arguments, and Shakespeare is treated with both reverence and irreverence. Andrew Scott brings enormous charisma and vulnerability to Charleson, capturing an actor determined to live and work on his own terms. With Olivia Colman, Billie Piper and Johnny Flynn among a terrific ensemble, Elsinore is as much a celebration of theatre, friendship and creative freedom as it is a portrait of a man confronting the realities of his illness — a film full of life, even as it looks towards its ending.
“The ghost of Hamlet will surely haunt another awards season when audiences and voters connect with this sharp and stirring but never sentimental drama” – Screen
“Scott’s Charleson is facing tragedy, but he never plays the tragedy even in the darkest moments. It’s such a mammoth, all-consuming performance filled with immense, unadulterated joy and passion” – The Contending
“When Scott steps into the light, you stop watching a man die and start seeing an actor live as hard as he can, for as long as he can” – Loud and Clear Review
Credits:
- Actor
- Andrew Scott, Olivia Colman, Billie Piper, Johnny Flynn, Peter Mullan, Juilet Stevenson, Monica Dolan
- Director
- Simon Stone
- UK Distributor
- StudioCanal
Running Time: 111 min
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Languages:
Subtitles: No subtitles
Recomended Age: 15
