Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating- the same story but oh so different
Review: Don't think because you know the story, you know how this version is going to play out. I found it completely fascinating and the second time around this movie was as good as the first. Eamonn Walker was perfectly cast as the man who can control the crowds but not his own imagination. He was brilliant, but I'm afraid this movie belonged to Christopher Eccleston. Every time he faced the camera and gave a peek into what was really going on, he was stunning. For original Shakespearean text, go for Laurence Fishburne's version, but to try something new, definitely watch this one.
Rating: 
Summary: Contemptible
Review: God save us from directors who think they're smarter than Shakespeare (and who apparently think we're dumber than rocks.) If you keep the broad plot outlines but dispense with Shakespeare's language, guess what - you've dispensed with Shakespeare. (Plot is exactly what mattered to him least - he borrowed almost all of them from other sources.) If you're too lazy or dull to handle Shakespeare's language, that's fine. Watch The Practice or read Anne Rice. But please don't rip everything valuable out of the greatest plays ever written and then try to pass them of as "new and improved."
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Modern Retelling of a Shakespearian Classic
Review: I first saw this rendition of "Othello" over a year ago on PBS, and I was absolutely enthralled with it. Unlike other modern renditions of Shakespearian plays, this version replaces the iambic pentameter with a natural scripted dialogue without losing the meaning and power of Shakespeare's orginal writing. You will fall in love and emphathize with Walker's powerful portrayal of the ill-fated Othello, and you will scorn and shudder at Eccleston's perfectly manipulative Jago. This is by far my favorite version of Othello.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Modern Retelling of a Shakespearian Classic
Review: I first saw this rendition of "Othello" over a year ago on PBS, and I was absolutely enthralled with it. Unlike other modern renditions of Shakespearian plays, this version replaces the iambic pentameter with a natural scripted dialogue without losing the meaning and power of Shakespeare's orginal writing. You will fall in love and emphathize with Walker's powerful portrayal of the ill-fated Othello, and you will scorn and shudder at Eccleston's perfectly manipulative Jago. This is by far my favorite version of Othello.
Rating:
Summary: A Beautiful Modern Retelling of a Shakespearian Classic
Review: I first saw this rendition of "Othello" over a year ago on PBS, and I was absolutely enthralled with it. Unlike other modern renditions of Shakespearian plays, this version replaces the iambic pentameter with a natural scripted dialogue without losing the meaning and power of Shakespeare's orginal writing. You will fall in love and emphathize with Walker's powerful portrayal of the ill-fated Othello, and you will scorn and shudder at Eccleston's perfectly manipulative Jago. This is by far my favorite version of Othello.
Rating:
Summary: A Travesty
Review: I normally dislike movies that dispense with the words of Shakespeare. But for some reason, I loved this modern retelling of Othello.
It didn't feel false, like the so-called 'William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet'.
The acting in it is superb. Eamonn Walker really grabs ahold of the role of John Othello and makes it perfect. I honestly cannot think of another actor that could have played this role to such ability.
Christopher Eccleston's casting to play Ben Jago was the perfect choice. He really gets to the heart of the role. The friend, passed over for the job that was his. The words he uses as narrations are well written, and perfectly acted.
Overall, I give this retelling of Othello 5 stars. Though now, maybe someone can do a full telling of the traditional play in this medium.
Rating:
Summary: Best Modern Re-telling...Ever
Review: I normally dislike movies that dispense with the words of Shakespeare. But for some reason, I loved this modern retelling of Othello.
It didn't feel false, like the so-called 'William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet'.
The acting in it is superb. Eamonn Walker really grabs ahold of the role of John Othello and makes it perfect. I honestly cannot think of another actor that could have played this role to such ability.
Christopher Eccleston's casting to play Ben Jago was the perfect choice. He really gets to the heart of the role. The friend, passed over for the job that was his. The words he uses as narrations are well written, and perfectly acted.
Overall, I give this retelling of Othello 5 stars. Though now, maybe someone can do a full telling of the traditional play in this medium.
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare? No, but....
Review: I'm one of those people who hates when the classic's are changed in any way, shape or form. There are 4 actors in this film that I like, so I decided to give it a go. Friendly advice: pretend this movie has nothing to do with Shakespeare's Othello. You'll enjoy it and appreciate it much more. The acting was supberb and it was put together very well. It really held my attention. Give it a shot.
Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare? No, but....
Review: I'm one of those people who hates when the classic's are changed in any way, shape or form. There are 4 actors in this film that I like, so I decided to give it a go. Friendly advice: pretend this movie has nothing to do with Shakespeare's Othello. You'll enjoy it and appreciate it much more. The acting was supberb and it was put together very well. It really held my attention. Give it a shot.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazingly enough, it works
Review: Not merely a recasting (like Ethan Hawke's HAMLET) of a Shakespeare play into a modern setting, this is a translation of the story into a contemporary police station, so that the themes of racial strife and sexual jealousy are even more palpable. Andrew Davies (who supposedly wants to do this with all the Shakespeare plays) dispenses with the Shakespearean language, but keeps the characterizations and some of the stylistic elements intact. Eamonn Walker is a quiet, thoughtful Othello, while Christopher Eccleston, as an Iago with a motive, is chillingly malevolent in a riveting performance that stops just shy of scenery-chewing. It sounds like it should be awful, but it's not. Definitely worth a look, and certainly a good companion piece to the Laurence Fishburne OTHELLO for a high school English class.
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