Rated: PG, directed by Tim Blake Nelson, with Mekhi Phifer (Odin James), Josh Hartnett (Hugo Goulding), Julia Stiles (Desi Brable), Martin Sheen (Coach Duke Goulding), Andrew Keegan (Michael Casio), Rain Phoenix (Emily) and Elden Henson (Roger), running time: 91 minutes.
Shakespeare meets Columbine High School to the dubious benefit of the moviegoer. Moving the classic tale of Othello onto the basketball courts of an American high school would seem, on the face of it, a great way of bringing this highly provocative play into the modern era. But director Nelson hasn't the visual and dramatic daring that made Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet (1996) such a superlative example of Shakespearean adaptation. Nelson compounds this failure with his fear of dealing with the issues, blurring motivations and generally oversimplifying the themes of racial and sexual jealousy that are at the heart of original play.
PHOTO COURTESY OF ERA
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