Chloe Zhao‘s Hamnet (Searchlight, 11.27) may or may not be “misery porn”, as one research screening tipster has claimed, but at least (a) it’s been beautifully, hauntingly shot by dp Lukasz Zal (Ida, Cold War, The Zone of Interest), (b) it’s thrilling to see an original Globe theatre performance recreated so faithfully, and (c) you can tell straight away that Jessie Buckley‘s performance as the suffering Agnes Shakespeare (a.k.a., Anne Hathaway) will snag a Best Actress nomination — obviously, no question.
The word is that Paul Mescal‘s William Shakespeare is a supporting performance, and that the famed Elizabethan playwright is depicted as a shitty husband — weak, self-absorbed. But the story apparently shows Agnes embracing and possibly having an extra-marital affair with Joe Alwyn‘s Bartholomew, for whatever that may be worth.
