Macbeth [2015] ★★½

Just like many movies based on William Shakespeare’s famous plays, Justin Kurzel’s “Macbeth” is very easy to admire but a bit more difficult to love. A lot of critics who saw it on opening day sang its praises to the skies, but I respectfully disagree. The movie has too many beautiful passages, mainly when the great Michael Fassbender (who plays Macbeth) and Marion Cotillard (who plays lady Macbeth) are onscreen, but I think its reach exceeds its grasp. One can applaud director Justin Kurzel for attempting something as bold as this, but I think the parts are greater than the whole. We witness the emotional journey of Macbeth, a Thane of Scotland, who receives a prophecy from a trio of witches that one day he will become King of Scotland. It’s one hell of a performance by Fassbender: brutal, fierce and highly convincing. One can also applaud the beautiful cinematography by Adam Arkapaw, who shot the film in the mystical Scottish Highlands. If you’re a Shakespeare fan, I would encourage you to see “Macbeth” for the performances alone. But you must know, going in, that you may or may not respond to the movie as a whole.

Rating: 2.5/4