Directed by Kenneth Branagh • 2000 • United Kingdom
Starring Kenneth Branagh, Alessandro Nivola, Adrian Lester, Matthew Lillard, Alicia Silverstone

A Y2K-era adaptation of Shakespeare’s sixteenth-century romantic comedy done in the style of a classic 1930s musical? Celebrated Shakespearean Sir Kenneth Branagh pulls it off with wit, charm, and style in this sparkling adaptation, featuring the music of Cole Porter, Irving Berlin, and the Gershwins. An ensemble cast including Timothy Spall, Alicia Silverstone, and Nathan Lane enlivens the story of a king and his three friends who swear off love—until their pact of celibacy is put to the test by the arrival of the Princess of France and her trio of handmaidens.