Roland Emmerich has made his fair share of egregiously bad movies. 10,000 B.C., Stargate, Godzilla, 2012 are trash of the unbearable kind. Since the B-movie glory that is Independence Day was released, the explosion-oriented filmmaker hasn’t done much that can be called fun. Now, 15 years later, not only does Emmerich satisfy, his uneven period film comes dangerously close to being smart.
For someone that has always seemed more interested in blowing up buildings than having something to say, Emmerich’s film has compelling statements to make, stemming from John Orloff‘s script. Anonymous is a love letter to writing, a reminder of how powerful words can be, and how artistic aspirations can consume one’s life. None of this is expressed through the, “What if I told you William Shakespeare didn’t write a single play?” nonsense.
In fact, very little of Anonymous deals with that divisive conspiracy theory, which argues that the Earl of Oxford (played by Rhys Ifans) wrote the plays credited to Shakespeare. It’s an ensemble film that features surprisingly little of the bafoonish portrayal of William Shakespeare, played with a joyful liveliness by Rafe Spall.
More than he should be allowed to, the Earl of Oxford takes the backseat, while he should always be at the center of this stage. Much of the film focuses on Earl’s younger years, a tragic fling with Queen Elizabeth I (Joely Richardson, later played by Vanessa Redgrave), and a fight for the Queen’s crown as she approaches death.
Everything outside of Earl of Oxford is basic, stuffy drama. Earl’s tale is enthralling, and Ifans makes every scene count. All the semi-smarts derives from Earl’s story, the tortured artist. Ifans’ performance being as fantastic as it is, it ironically winds up hurting the film. The actor brings such humanity and heart to the picture, while the rest of the notable ensemble and plot points merely wander through the motions of a campy period piece.
Emmerich, with the assistance of the Arri ALEXA HD camera, captures London in a way not many filmmakers have. The realization and attention to detail is striking, cartoony renderings withstanding. Unfortunately, Emmerich approaches the drama with an almost workman-like and tone-deaf quality. When Ifans isn’t in the forefront wearing his heart on his sleeve, the film loses its power.
If what was on screen contained more of the Earl of Oxford’s passion, Anonymous could have been the bold, pen-mightier-than-the-sword drama it so wants to be. Emmerich’s non-disaster film is an admirable and mildly enjoyable effort from the pigeon-held director, but never quite reaches the artistry and poignancy of the Earl of Oxford.
Anonymous is in limited release and will go wide on Friday, November 4th.