Posterized: Director Kenneth Branagh
Friday, March 13, 2015 at 4:30PM 
Cinderella reuniteds director Kenneth Branagh with his former star and ex-lover Helena Bonham-Carter (in the fairy godmother role)Though Kenneth Branagh had acted in three movies in the 1980s before his international breakthrough, he arrived as a star in a quite a multihypenate way. His adaptation of Shakespeare's Henry V (1989) won him instant celebrity as an actor-writer-director. Here's a fun fact -- all five of his Oscar nominations are in different categories: Actor (Henry V), Supporting Actor (My Week With Marilyn), Director (Henry V), Screenplay (Hamlet), Live-Action Short (Swan Song). People forget this now when they wonder about how easily he won a nomination for playing Oscar's beloved Laurence Olivier in My Week With Marilyn but it was something of a inevitability and a cute narrative. Branagh had been compared to Sir Laurence Olivier right from his supernova start in 1989 since Sir Laurence Olivier was also an actor/director who thrilled modern audiences in his time with interpretations of Shakespeare plays for the movies.
Branagh's movie stardom has long since taken a backseat to his directing work -- in truth it began to dwindle as soon as his magical partnership with Emma Thompson crumbled -- but with his 14th movie, Disney's live action Cinderella (2015) opening today, let's look back at his time in the director's chair through movie posters.
How many of these 14 films have you seen?
Henry V (1989) - his muscular hit debut obviously just missed Oscar's Best Picture list (a pity since their choices that year were so out of whack). It's definitely worth seeing if you haven't and features Christian Bale fresh off of Empire of the Sun and one of Emma Thompson's first two screen performances. She married Branagh just two months before the film's debut.
Dead Again (1991) - another hit. Ken & Emma play doomed reincarnated lovers in this ridiculous and ridiculously enjoyable stylized thriller
Peter's Friends (1992) - This comedy was like a who's who of Brit stars on the rise: Stephen Fry, Imelda Staunton, Hugh Laurie, and Ken & Emma.
Much Ado About Nothing (1993) Ken & Emma's second Shakespearean hit and a curveball of a kind... so light and funny and with an eclectic cast of stars. (Confession: I call this one of Emma's all time best screen performance and better than either of her two Oscar nominated turns that year, though those are great, too)
Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (1994) This ambitious adaptation ended his already separated but celebrated dual star marriage; he and Emma's Howards End sister Helena Bonham Carter became a couple and the Ken & Emma divorce was finalized in 1995. It's quite a baroque film.
A Midwinter's Tale (1995) More Shakespeare. It's a comedy about a production of Hamlet. This small black and white film was his first movie not to win plenty of attention or box office success.
Hamlet (1996) received four Oscar nominations, one of them quite a curiousity. Branagh was nominated for Adapted Screenplay but the big selling point of his four hour Hamlet was that it was completed unaltered. It was a lush movie version that did the whole play. Trivia: Helena Bonham-Carter had played Ophelia in Franco Zeffirelli's Hamlet (1990) but she's not in this one even though she and Branagh were still a thing and she actually also made a Shakespeare movie this same year (Twelfth Night)
Love's Labours Lost (2000) More experimental Shakespeare, this one a musical with another eclectic cast (Alicia Silverstone, Carmen Ejogo, Alessandro Nivola, Matthew Lillard, etcetera). By this point he was no longer "a thing" with the public
As You Like It (2006) One of two films he made that year that never made it to US theaters but eventually ended up on DVD or television. This Shakespeare stars Bryce Dallas Howard back when they were trying to make her happen as a leading lady all the time.
The Magic Flute (2006) This adaptation of the opera didn't arrive in the US for seven whole years but it's available on DVD.
Sleuth (2007) It was an ingenious idea on paper to remake this two-man Oscar hit with Michael Caine graduating to the older man role and Jude Law, by some accounts the new Michael Caine (see Alfie) in the Michael Caine role) but no one seemed to like it.
Thor (2011) After a rough period for his movie work both behind and in front of the camera, Branagh returned with his biggest box office success... however qualified it may have been (not that superhero movies flop no matter who directs them)
Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit (2014) Remember when they were still trying to make Chris Pine happen as a leading man? Oh wait. That's still going on! This attempt to relaunch a franchise didn't.
Cinderella (2015) His directorial ability to go lush and light while retaining gravitas seems like a great match for the material sight unseen. But it won't be unseen much longer -- looks like a giant hit about to happen.
HOW MANY HAVE YOU SEEN? And which Branagh behind and in front of the camera is your favorite?
Reader Comments (31)
I've only seen six (it'll be seven after Cinderella). My favorite is Dead Again, surprisingly. But my favorite Branagh screen performance is in Altman's The Gingerbread Man.
MURDER! flashes across the screen, and I was transfixed by "Dead Again". Such a fun homage.
I've seen 4. Dead Again, Thor, Peter's Friends (The British Big Chill), and Frankenstein. Guess I need to brush up on my Shakespeare.
Emma Thompson in Much Ado About Nothing is everything!
Sorry, you were talking about Branagh, weren't you...? It's my favorite of his films, and my favorite Shakespeare adaptation ever.
Also love Dead Again. I want to like Peter's Friends more than I did, love the entire cast, even hammy American Rita Rudner. The "Way You Look Tonight" scene is quite lovely.
"Dead Again" is by leaps and bounds my favorite of his, though I've only seen two others in their entirety from his directorial filmography ("Frankenstein" and "Thor").
BTDubs, I totally remember when Hollywood was working full time to make Ron Howard's offspring happen.
I've seen Henry V and Hamlet and maybe a couple of others but the memories are blurry.
My favorite performance of his is in MY WEEK WITH MARILYN. He was my "should win" among the Supporting Actor nominees that year (not that I complained about Plummer's win for BEGINNERS. I just thought Branagh was the best.)
Yikes, only seen two. I hadn't realized he had so many films under his belt as a director. It's odd that he's been given so many projects given the lack of success he's had in this area. But he seems like someone who could charm folks into hiring him.
I looooooved Dead Again when it came out, I remember seeing it in the movie theatre twice in a week.
I don't mind the nomination for Hamlet, there is a lot of choices that the screenplay must make that have nothing to do with just the dialogue.
Of these, I've only seen the Shakespeares (minus As You Like It), Sleuth, and the Marvel movie. Love's Labour's Lost is so underrated. As is his Much Ado, actually, considering how good it is and how good everyone in it is. I THINK the issue with Sleuth (which I kinda liked) is that it is too slick, equally the fault of Branagh's direction and Pinter's (frankly, unnecessary) updating of the script.
His filmography as a director is more diverse than I realized, looking at it like this. Despite the obvious affinity for stage adaptations.
Am I the only one who LURVES his Woody Allen routine in Celebrity?
Well, it was unique to hear the Woody persona come out in those wonderful RSC vowels.
But Henry is truly my favorite of ALL time. Branagh’s gritty King is so believable whether in the breech or sitting in the camp with his men
And the ending Chorus always makes me cry………………
I've only seen Dead Again, which is indeed ridiculous but enjoyable. Tried watching Much Ado About Nothing once because of Emma, but I just can't deal with Shakespearean English.
They never really managed to make Bryce Dallas Howard happen anyway, but then Jessica Chastain rendered her completely irrelevant.
I've seen 7. His early work was great up to Hamlet. There were comparisons to Orson Welles when he was nominated at such a young age for Henry V, but the promise never seemed to coalesce.
I have seen 11 of his films, Henry V, Hamlet, and Much Ado About Nothing are my favourites. ( I like Shakespeare.) I really admire his work and think that he is under-rated as a director. His mimicry of Woody Allen is quite hilarious in Celebrity. Always interesting to see what he's up to.
i've seen 7 (8 this weekend with cinderella) and i second biggs that emma thompson in MUCH ADO is absolutely EVERYTHING! so, so good. probably one of her best performances - which is really saying something...
i'm disappointed that his shakespeare films post HAMLET (which i also love) didn't get more attention. he had intended to do a version of macbeth set in the modern-day corporate world that sounded intriguing...
I've seen 10, will be 11 after I take my niece to see Cinderella this weekend. My favorite of his directed films is Dead Again. As far as in front of the camera that would be his Hamlet. I really like that film too and Much Ado where Emma steals the show.
4 (will be 5 after Cinderella). LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Hamlet and Henry and thoroughly enjoyed Peter's Friends and Much Ado. Favorite performance is actually from TV (Wallander) and I liked him in Valkyrie.
I obviously need to catch up on some of the ones I have missed.
In the Bleak Midwinter is the original and infinitely better title of A Midwinter's Tale.
I've seen his first 9 films, none after As You Like It which I found quite uninspired. My favorites are Peter's Friends and Much Ado About Nothing with a fabulous Emma Thompson and that unforgettable opening scene. Was 1993 the year of masterpieces?
I've only seen 7.
Henry V is favorite in front of the camera.
Love's Labours Lost is my favorite behind the camera.
Directing Shakespeare seems to be a good foundation for directing spectacle. Branagh is good at making sure the storyline is clear, that you see the characters in the spectacle, and the spectacle doesn't go on too long. And he is either terrific at casting or smart enough to take the advice of a great casting director.
Think of the interesting and varied talents he cast in the foundational Thor. Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston, Rene Russo, Kat Dennings. So, Cinderella should be fun.
I have seen six.
In the Bleak Midwinter, as it was called, is quite marvelous - one of the best films of its year. Celia Imrie, Jennifer Saunders, and Joan Collins (!) were great in it.
Gosh. I have seen one -- Thor -- and to be honest I am fairly sure I haven't seen it all the way through (because really what's the point?). I have had the Hamlet DVD on my shelf for some time now waiting for someone to agree to watch it with me, so maybe I should get on that. The 'Dead Again' poster is terrific.
"Jack Ryan Shadow Recruit (2014) Remember when they were still trying to make Chris Pine happen as a leading man?"
Let's cast our minds back to....last year.
I agree with adri about Branagh's casting. Hamlet alone (with the exception of Jack Lemmon) has some brilliant and unexpected choices.
I admit I am a Branagh fangirl, so I've seen them all. Jack Ryan really improves over time (and a home viewing).
Adri is right — Ken's best directing skill is making the storyline comes through even when the story is about a English-French war in the 15th century or about a Norse god coming down to Earth.
And check out Kenneth Branagh's DH Lawrence wooing Helen Mirren's Freida way back in 1985 or so. Would you really turn down La Mirren?! (Bonus: wonderful poetry reading at the end of the clip)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YpINmQkNHzs
7. I wish I remembered Dead Again better because I remember loving it, but it's not fresh in my mind. So as to in front of the camera I'll say Much Ado About Nothing, since my memories of Dead Again and Fortunes of War and Hamlet are hazy. For behind the camera I have to say Much Ado About Nothing because it's such a delight, through and through. Love that film. Though I should revisit Love's Labour's Lost, as I remember it being interesting.
Big fan of his. Here are the five things I am most thankful for about Branagh
5. The blonde hair and moustache in HAMLET is one of the sexiest things.
4. Making the first THOR such a delightfully zonked out Marvel movie that couldn't be done even just a few years later. So ridiculously camp and gold, so many dutch angles because why not?
3. His collaborations with Patrick Doyle
2. Emma Thompson in MUCH ADO
1. Seeing the entire four-hour version of HAMLET in 70mm is truly transcendent.
Although it sounds like I need to see DEAD AGAIN pronto.
As do so many others, I believe "Much Ado About Nothing" is his best work (that I have seen), but I absolutely adore "Dead Again". I suspect the Oscar that Robin Williams won got its start when he played the whack-job shrink in that film.
A Midwinter's Tale is a real gem for anyone who loves Shakespeare or British comedy. Jennifer Saunder's delivery of the word "snatch" in one scene still makes me laugh so hard I have to pause the movie, and Julia Sawalha is just adorable.
Just saw Cinderella last night which makes it five. I thought he was delightful in My Week with Marilyn, more relaxed than usual. Other than his movies being very bright, I can't say I'd recognize a "Directed by Kenneth Branagh" movie.
Santy: re "very bright": except for Frankenstein which I remember as 2 hours of pitch blackness interrupted by sporadic shots of Branagh's glistening Ned Flanders physique.
Mike -- LOL. but so unfair. Kenneth Branagh had obviously been working on his body for that shoot :)
Wow. This might be the first time in this series that I've seen none of the films. I've seen him only in movies he himself did not direct. Interesting. Guess I gotta catch up on my Shakespeare.