★★★★

To weep or not to weep? It’s not so much a question as it is an inevitability in Chloé Zhao’s profoundly moving adaptation of Hamnet. Drawn from the equally affecting novel by Maggie O’Farrell, who takes joint credit for the film’s screenplay with Zhao herself, Hamnet draws woozily on the tragic 1596 death of the only son of William Shakespeare and Anne – here referred to as Agnes – Hathaway. In the sixteenth century, an opening epitaph advises, the names Hamnet and Hamlet were interchangeable. Hamnet’s supposition has Hamlet a tragedie born of truth. There’s no doubting, at least, the film’s emotional honesty in its exploration of the loss.

Much of this is born, of course, of Zhao’s pitch perfect casting. Paul Mescal is Shakespeare himself, all lust, ambition and sorrow, but serves in support of an extraordinary Jessie Buckley, whose Agnes Hathaway ascends from earthly sprite to potent principal though the course of the film. Communicating the grief of her own maternal loss before we even know it is there – never mind the rollercoaster of motherhood that we do know lies ahead of her – Buckley delivers an Agnes of immediate, instinctive full realisation. It’s no wonder the Bard to be finds himself mesmerised at first sight. We all are.

Will is a tutor as we meet him – ‘teaching Latin to boys who will be nought but sheep farmers’ – at work in a terrifically recreated period Stratford. It is as his wards dully recite and repeat old Roman prose that Shakespeare spies Agnes, dressed in earthy red and at one with the wilderness. It is said locally she is the daughter of a forest witch and there’s no doubting the ethereality of her almost pagan herbalism. Agnes at first rebuffs the advances of Will, framed every bit the Prospero to her Ariel, but there’s thrill in the chase. What follows is a whirlwind romance in the court of nature; tender, naturalistic and unabashedly carnal.

From this woodland dalliance comes the immortal line: ‘the child in her belly, did you put it there?’ Three children follow. The first, Susanna (Bodhi Rae Breathnach) is born in the forest itself and following the most remarkable of labour scenes. Zhao sits her camera on high in a hawk-eye view, and simply waits and watches. Buckley delivers in every sense of the word. It’s mesmeric and entirely typical of Zhao’s approach, which leans rather literally in Hamnet towards that Shakespearean understanding that ‘all the world’s a stage’. Interior scenes feel framed exactly thus. Outdoors, Zhao’s hand is freer but almost documentarian.

After Susanna, come twins Judith (Olivia Lynes) and Hamnet (Jacobi Jupe), a spirited youngster with dreams of following his father to London and the great playhouse. It is no spoiler to note that these dreams go unrealised. When it comes, the sequence of Hamnet’s passing is as core-cutting as you might fear. Buckley’s raw, guttural scream haunts long into the credits, as does the moment mere scenes prior in which Hamnet crawls into his sister’s plague ridden bed, assuring her that he will trick death into taking him instead. It’s a heavily foreboded tragedy – from the lingering of a dark pit in the forest to Agnes’ vision that only two will stand at her own deathbed – but no less startling for it. The rest is silence.

In truth, Zhao is not always so successful in overcoming a labouring of her point. A Thames-side instance, for example, of Shakespeare self-soliloquising a dark ebb stands out for its inauthenticity. And yet, a finale act that threatens to boil well over the pan never does because, for the most part, all within earn the heightened emotional environment.

T.S.

There was much ado about some of the biggest festival favorites and premieres coming to the 50th Toronto International Film Festival, and no shortage of what to watch between the various categories. Among one of the heralded festival favorites to make its Canadian premiere was Chloé Zhao’s breathtaking adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s “Hamnet.” Rich in beauty and astounding performances, “Hamnet” is a stunning domestic drama set in the household of William Shakespeare, but with a twist: in this retelling of the Bard’s life, it is his wife who is the real subject of the movie. 

“Hamnet” follows the story of Agnes (Jessie Buckley), an independent spirit whose mother was closely tied with the land and before her early death, passed many of her remedies and practices to her daughter. She meets an unhappy tutor named William Shakespeare (Paul Mescal) and the pair begin a passionate affair that leads them to marriage. Their bliss is short-lived as William’s restless creative spirit cannot find peace in the countryside where Agnes finds home and comfort. She encourages him to go to London while she looks after the children, but over the years, the pair must endure the pangs of long distance love and the challenges of raising a family in the era. 

Zhao, who adapted the screen version of “Hamnet” with author O’Farrell, gives the story an enchanting visual style through cinematographer Lukasz Zal’s camera. So much of the movie is meticulously composed, colorful, and detailed, that it almost feels like a romantic fairytale. When the harsh reality of the historical period arrives, it darkens the fantasy, but does not destroy it, for Zhao and Buckley so wonderfully carry the audience through her character’s grief.

This is Buckley’s showcase, a chance to play many parts throughout her character’s life, from lovestruck young woman to a frustrated wife and heartbroken mother. The object of her affection, Mescal’s Shakespeare, falls for her untamed manners and theirs is a tender affair. Zhao captures their romantic intensity in aching closeups framed by the bucolic setting of the English countryside. Now winner of the festival’s People’s Choice Award, “Hamnet” will likely end up on many awards shortlists and year-end favorites. The only detrimental note was the choice of composer Max Richter’s heavily used score “On the Nature of Daylight” from “Arrival” and “Shutter Island.” It leaves this otherwise magnificent film on a false note. 

I had less lofty expectations for director Bobby Farrelly’s new film, “Driver’s Ed,” but ended up pleasantly surprised by its good-natured coming-of-age story about first love and a first road trip with friends. Writer Thomas Moffett and Farrelly make some use of his raunchy comedy hijinks, but the overall story at the center ends on a heartwarming note and a feel-good message about the painful changes that come with growing up. 

Jeremy (Sam Nivola), is a newly minted senior and an aspiring filmmaker wholly dedicated to Samantha (Lilah Pate), his girlfriend who has gone off to college ahead of him. After she stops talking to him for too long and drunkenly breaks up with him one night, Jeremy decides to visit her on campus to clear things up. Jeremy steals a car from driver’s ed full of his friends, including the romantic skeptic Evie (Sophia Telegadis), valedictorian Aparna (Mohana Krishnan), and a depressed-slacker-turned-drug dealer Yoshi (Aidan Laprete), in an effort to save his relationship, if only he can slip past his bumbling driver’s ed substitute teacher Mr. Rivers (Kumail Nanjiani), their poodle-obsessed principal (Molly Shannon), and a security guard (Tim Baltz ) tasked with bringing the kids back from their misadventure. 

Bobby Farrelly and his brother Peter cornered the ‘90s gross comedy market with movies like “There’s Something About Mary” and “Dumb and Dumber,” and there are a few low hanging jokes sprinkled throughout the college scenes. But “Driver’s Ed” is more in line with Farrelly’s other recent movies, like the heartwarming sports underdog story “Champions” and the Jack Black-led “Dear Santa.” The beats of “Driver’s Ed” are perhaps a bit familiar and predictable, but they’re still effective thanks to the film’s cast. 

As Baz Luhrmann revealed with his 2022 movie, “Elvis,” the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is still a source of inspiration for him. Thanks to his research on that film, Luhrmann came across rare, never-before seen footage, and now, “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” is bringing the king’s own words and performance back to the spotlight. 

Using archival taped interviews and footage both familiar and never-before-seen, Luhrmann creates a montage of different parts of Elvis’ life, including his relationship with his mother, his time in the army and how it affected his career, his doubts about his time in Hollywood, to his tireless performances in Vegas. Luhrmann lays the soundtracks to Elivs’s life and with editor Jonathan Redmond, creates a visual story to encompass each song or interview, including touching tributes to Elvis’ time with Priscilla and Lisa Marie. 

The quality of the restored footage in “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” is truly dazzling (I did have one question as to whether what looked like an animated photo in the film used AI or not, but I really hope it’s not the case). It’s even better when Luhrmann stops adding too much extra business on top of an already busy screen, like red rhinestoned texts to stand in for headlines explaining what’s happening in Elvis’ life at that moment. These eventually fall by the wayside as he lets Elvis’ interviews tell the story in his own words. It’s also perhaps why some of the tougher parts of Elvis’ story is missing from the film, like some of the problems Priscilla shared from their relationship. As a music documentary, “EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert” lands somewhere in-between “Moonage Daydream” and the recently released “It’s Never Over, Jeff Buckley,” and it’s nonetheless a treat for just about every Elvis fan.