A political thriller advancing the theory that it was in fact Edward De Vere, Earl of Oxford who penned Shakespeare's plays; set against the backdrop of the succession of Queen Elizabeth I, and the Essex Rebellion against her.
Its a testament to Emmerich's cluttered but sincere film that, at the heart of all the flash and filigree, the play really is the thing.
The facts may be suspect but Emmerich combines craftsmanship and a strong cast to create a ripping historical romp.
A curveball from the man who made 2012 and Independence Day and probably only a brief respite for the world's major cities.It's more of an interesting curio to a blockbuster career but there's fun to be had here if you look hard enough.
Anonymous takes an age to sort itself out while begging your indulgence for lots of long, boring stretches in which there’s much ado and speechifying about nothing.
Emmerich’s mirthless hatchet job is hoisted with its own petard.
Anonymous might be riper than a month-old plum, but it’s every bit as juicy.
An amusing and mischievous Blackadder-style romp, enlivened by cheerfully OTT performances from Vanessa Redgrave as the Queen, Rafe Spall as Will and Rhys Ifans as the Earl of Oxford.
A first rate cast.
The German director Roland Emmerich's grand exercise in Elizabethan kitsch makes a very flimsy case.
It’s hard to see why we should care, especially as the time-jumping structure, impenetrable court intrigue, wacky incest subplots and mud-splattered cinematography make it hard to decipher what’s really going on.
Incest, murder, betrayal… Anonymous tries to be Shakespearean while hatching a hysterical batch of conspiracies. Slickly told, mildly diverting but ultimately fraudulent.
Is this a turkey I see before me? Urm, yep.
A grotesque travesty.
The American screenwriter John Orloff may have wished for a muse of fire, but unfortunately he's been given an ear of cloth, and his film would hardly pass muster as a sixth-form end-of-term romp.
Who wrote Shakespeare's plays--and does it matter?
So, who did write Hamlet?
Trevor Nunn and Mark Rylance--Interviewed by Susanna Rustin, The Guardian, 14/10/2011
Why do they keep trotting out this Looney idea about Shakespeare?
Shakespeare's plays tell us all we need to know about the man--except his identity
Only foolish snobs don't believe in William Shakespeare
Shakespeare film Anonymous has lost plot, says Stratford
Shakespeare signs covered in protest of Anonymous film
Out, damn'd conspiracy! Shakespeare was no fraud.
Shakespeare conspiracy theories
There's nothing Anonymous about William Shakespeare's genius
Roland Emmerich: Appetite for deconstruction
Our film Anonymous asks viewers to think for themselves about Shakespeare
Rylance defends Shakespeare film's right to question identity of Bard
Shakespeare--a fraud? Anonymous is ridiculous
General release. Check local listings for show times.
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday December 9, 2011, until Thursday December 15, 2011. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com