This TV movie is a must see for Rufus fans.
It’s a rare opportunity to see Rufus play a fun character who
is well, there is no kind way to say it, a bit crazy.
A loveable and eccentric crazy, yes, but still slightly balmy.
That Rufus manages to make the loony, hyperactive,
impoverished Petruchio charming, irresistible and even sexy, is a
testament to his skills as an actor and his general onscreen appeal,
which is something about him that is rarely taken advantage of by
filmmakers.
What is most clever about this Shakespeare
update is that our heroine Kate is she has her issues as well.
She is a career driven politician with some serious
anger-management issues, who hasn’t time for any sort of personal
relationships at all. She barely seems to speak to
her mother and super-model sister Bianca and can barely get along with
her colleagues. This is a woman in trouble,
whether she realizes it or not. Enter Kate’s
apparent polar opposite, Petruchio, who we can safely assume has never
held a proper job or had any ambitions of any sort, beyond enjoying
his creature comforts.
So Petruchio, as in the Shakespeare
original, decides he needs a wealthy wife to support himself and he
starts to pursue Kate, despite everyone telling him how awful she is.
Most hilariously, he seems intrigued by their descriptions of
her as a “gorgon” rather than turned off by it.
What is clever in this version is that it becomes clear as their story
unfolds that these two misfits are clearly “star crossed lovers” who
are “meant for each other” in their own peculiar way.
I don’t want to give away too much, as part
of the fun of this movie is watching for how they will update the
different famous scenes from the Shakespeare original, such as the
disastrous wedding of Kate & Petruchio (all I’ll say is, no man should
look as well in heels as Rufus does!) I will say
that I don’t think I’ve laughed so much in a very long time, from the
opening scene where Kate is so angry, she LITERALLY looks like she’s
going to blow her top, to wedding night scene, I can honestly say that
in recent memory, this has become one of my favorite comedies to watch
over and over when I need a good chuckle.
etherealtb~
When I heard that "Taming of the Shrew" was
being remade with Rufus in the lead role I was really looking forward to
seeing it until I learned that it was to be an updated, modern version,
which was very disappointing to me. I love Shakespeare's original and
usually don't like updated versions of films. But because it was Rufus I
had to watch it (when it finally made it to BBC America) and, just in
case, I also recorded it. Now I'm really glad I did. After my first
viewing I thought it wasn't too bad. After my second viewing I thought
it was quite likeable. After my third viewing I was hooked!
Rufus and Shirley Henderson definitely have a chemistry that makes them
very enjoyable to watch together. And Rufus, as we all know, attacks
every role with zest and wrings every ounce out of it. He has been
quoted as saying he would like to do comedy, and he did play the role of
Petruchio with great relish.
I'm certainly glad I have TOTS on a tape and I'm looking forward to it
being available on DVD in the US. While this new version of "Taming of
the Shrew" doesn't replace the original, it is an excellent complement
to it and one I will enjoy watching over and over.
7sisters~