Hamnet, Cinema M

In 2020 Maggie O’Farrell’s novel ‘Hamnet’ appeared. She wanted to shed a light on William Shakespeares son Hamnet, who died when he was eleven years old. It is O’Farrell’s fictional view of what the circumstances must have been like back then. A romanticized tale of how the most famous playwright on earth came up with the idea for the chef-d’oeuvre Hamlet. None other than the celebrated Chloé Zhao now brings this tragedy to the silver screen. Is it actually Hamnet of Hamlet? Well, in Shakespeare’s time those names were interchangeable. Stratford-upon-Avon, 16th century. In a world full of green, we see how the headstrong Agnes catches the attention of Will. He teaches Latin, but is much more occupied with that mysterious woman. In rapid succession a special love develops between the two and they have three children together, including twins. The offspring grow up in a warm nest, but they do see their father leave for London very often to occupy himself with writing and theater. During one of his trips to the English capital, tragedy strikes. Hamnet, their only son, loses his life to the plague. This has major consequences for the family dynamics. Two grieving parents each try to come to terms with the death of their son in their own way. ‘Hamnet’ stands out strongly above all because of an outstanding cast. Jessie Buckley absolutely deserved the Oscar for best actress. Next to her stands Paul Mescal, whom we know from ‘Aftersun’, ‘The history of sound’ and ‘All of us strangers’. He has a number of rock-solid monologues, but knows precisely how to strike the right chord even without words. 鳧he film draws you into its story through the powerful acting performances and strong dialogues. Those aspects are supported by the beautiful nature imagery and the music of Max Richter. Even though the family’s world is far removed from your own, you empathize with them and momentarily forget that it is the 21st century and you are sitting in a cinema chair. UK, US 2025 Directed by: Chloé Zhao Cast: Jessie Buckley, Paul Mescal, Jacobi Jupe, Zac Wishart, James Lintern, Joe Alwyn, Justine Mitchell, Eva Wishart, Olivia Lynes, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Effie Linnen, Emily Watson… Genre: biography, drama, history, romance Duration: 2 hours 6 min. Spoken languages: English, Latin, French, Oud Grieks