Anonymous

Director Roland Emmerich, better known for blockbusters such as Independence Day and 2012, abandons over-the-top special effects for this meticulous and seductive period drama. At its heart is the question of who really wrote Shakespeare's works, and a clever opening monologue from Derek Jacobi guides us into an Elizabethan world of intrigue and danger. William Shakespeare (Rafe Spall) is portrayed as an imbecilic actor, while the Earl of Oxford (Rhys Ifans) is shown to be the man truly holding the quill. But the Bard's popular plays cause sedition, and the film shows how Queen Elizabeth (beautifully played by both Joely Richardson and her mother, Vanessa Redgrave) struggles to quash her rivals while striving for personal happiness. The derring-do is easy to follow, even as it grows more complicated and dark, leading to several astonishing revelations by the film's end. Anonymous is poignant and shocking by turns, while maintaining an entertaining pace. Amid the stellar cast, Ifans, in particular, excels, and the movie also boasts amazing production, lighting and costume design.