“Hamnet” isn’t a skewed version of William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet,” but it is a guess at what actually happened to the playwright oh-so-many years ago.
Because there’s scant information about his life, his family and his inspirations, much is creative speculation.
And that’s where Chloe Zhao’s film soars.
Paul Mescal stars as the Latin tutor-turned-playwright who is gaining a reputation in London. When he meets Agnes, a young woman with a wild temperament (Jessie Buckley), he’s immediately smitten. Soon, they’re married and about to be parents. The pull between the city and the country is strong, but Will realizes he needs to go to London if he wants to get his career on track.
The couple’s relationship hits more than a few bumps, and when other children (they had several) long for their father, it becomes difficult. When a daughter is struck by what some think is the plague, the need becomes even more apparent. In the mix is a son named Hamnet (which is interchangeable with “Hamlet”), who is tight with his sister.
Grief becomes a guiding force in the family members’ lives and a reason for Will and Agnes to split. Both convey their sorrow quite openly, giving “Hamnet” an intimacy few films achieve. Zhao knows how to lean into the conversations, quarrels and triumphs and find the relatable moments that even those who never achieve notoriety can recognize.
When he writes a play called “Hamlet,” there’s plenty to consider (and attach). Agnes thinks he’s preying on their son’s name and attends the play. How she relates to it — and heals from it — is part of the magic of Jessie Buckley. She’s so intriguing, first as what some see as a witch, then as a wife who feels she has no control over her family, you’ll wonder where she landed after the film.
Zhao and Maggie O’Farrell, who wrote the screenplay based on O’Farrell’s book of the same name, are great at connecting dots and giving new meaning to phrases like “to be or not to be.”
“Hamlet” may be Shakespeare’s greatest work; “Hamnet” explains how it could have been so divinely inspired.
Buckley and Mescal are impeccable; but Emily Watson and Joe Alwyn are memorable, too. Even Jacobi Jupe, as Hamnet, stakes a claim to the audience’s emotions. When his lookalike real-life brother turns up as Hamlet in the play, the film becomes a window into a world most never know.
One of the best films of the year (if not THE best film), “Hamnet” says there’s plenty of life in classics. Sometimes, you just need to dig for it.
