Rent All Is True (2018)

Bland, and tedious throughout. - All Is True review by RM

""All Is True" explores the human story behind a dark and little known period in the life of William Shakespeare."

The thing about "little known" is you can make up whatever you want, to say this is "All is true" is basically a lie, they could have done far better, Shakespeare Vs vampires? or Abducted by aliens? would have been crass but at least entertaining. But they decided to make a film about nothing very much at all. I was going to say this film was boring but this goes beyond that it's just bland a kind of Elizabethan soap where very little happens apart from day to day life dragging on.

This really is another Branagh self indulgence production, dragging the usual luvvies out of the toy chest.

I'm dismayed that this was penned by Ben Elton, he really is better than this and should have stopped at Upstart Crow, at least being a comedy there was his wit to entertain us, this isn't entertaining, it's the diary of a retired old sod who does what a lot of retirees do, he took up gardening, and boy it was like watching paint dry.

This isn't history, but made up non history. I guess a kind of fake news that no one will be interested in.

Not Upstart Crow - All Is True review by Pete W

Perhaps some reviewers saw that this film was scripted by Ben Elton and expected a feature length edition of Upstart Crow. That is indeed a very enjoyable comedy but this is a different beast. Taking what little we know about Shakespeare’s life, the film shows Will at the end of his life having retired from playwriting dealing with the earlier death of his son and some inappropriate behaviour for the time from his daughters.  The film really benefits from having such Shakespearean luminaries as Branagh, Dench and (briefly) Mckellan in the lead roles, bringing their understanding of Shakespeare and his plays. An enlightening interview with Branagh and other extras explain a lot about the film and its production. Special mention to make up for making Branagh almost unrecognisable as Will.

Dull Dull Dull and Dull - All Is True review by AL

Good grief, I didn't last long and had to forward on to the end. But for the brief time lasted, I found it so slow and Dull, just aweful. I loved Upstart Crow and can't believe thanks written by the same person. Very disappointed.

Big Snore - All Is True review by HM

Well apparently Skakie had nothing better to do than cope with his femenist female empowerment daugther; a likely story eh? Ben Elton wrote the story so you needn't be suprised. And Judie Dench is his 'wife older than him', you are not kidding she is positively geriatric. Unconvinsing relationship.

So what is it all about? Well, we don't know much about him after retirement so why not make up some daft tale using his name to keep the English actors guild busy (Branagh an honury Englishman). His biographers refer to him 'likely' to have done this and that and managed his financial affairs etc. This story ignores his actual preoccupations as they are dull, and there is no reference to his collaberations with budding playwrites.

No idea why anybody should be interested in this waffle frankly. A sort of soap opera version which could run for a series 'the family squabbles of Skhakepeare' perhaps.

Great film - All Is True review by SA

This was a beautifully made film, atmospheric and elegiac.  The acting was superb, and this ending part of Shakespeare's life was most moving.  Ben Elton writes a great script and really knows how to turn life with few facts into a fictional delight of great interest. It was slow and gentle, but this in no way detracted from its quiet power. Thank you Kenneth Branagh.

Enjoyable - All Is True review by KM

Reading many of the reviews, we were apprehensive about choosing this film, but we enjoyed it. Yes there was some over acting and self indulgence, but on the whole we found it to be an intelligent take on an unknown part of the Bard's life with lots of references to his works. We would fault the use of modern gas fires more than the script.

Disappointing - All Is True review by LA

A wonderful cast wasted, and one of the film's themes, the creation of a garden was a huge disappointment - could they not actually have created a beautiful Shakespearean garden instead of showing endless pointless shots of him digging?