Hamlet

Whatever Kenneth Branagh's motives for filming Hamlet in its entirety -- recouping his somewhat tarnished reputation as the next Olivier, perhaps -- he's managed to pull off a considerable coup de cinema, and the result is by turns brilliant, lavish, garish and awful. Of course, Branagh himself stars as the Danish prince with revenge on his fevered brain, and he's jettisoned yesterday's impotent brooder in favor of Hamlet the manic, peroxide-blond showman. The peculiar thing about Branagh is that while he clearly thinks he wants to challenge his audience -- and a four-hour, unabridged Hamlet is certainly a challenge -- he panders incessantly to...