Review: As You Like It

Created by a group of finalists over the summer under the direction of Rob Williams, Macondo Productions’ As You Like It reimagines Shakespeare’s pastoral idyll as a dappled chiaroscuro forest in which teenage protagonists lose themselves and find each other whilst navigating love, sorrow and cross-dressing.

The cast is an arty gang with windswept hair and retro clothes, bowling around Oxford on sit-up bikes to an offbeat folksy soundtrack. Exiled to Arden, they lounge in a field of wildflowers like some edgy indie band; all guitars, wayfarers and cheekbones.

Although at times the film’s efforts to appear ‘quirky’ approach the absurd – Orlando smears jam on his face before downing a litre of Tesco orange juice – Williams’ upbeat approach and wry sense of wit perfectly suit Shakespeare’s arguably most lighthearted play.

The montage scenes are peppered with knowing self-references: the establishing shot features a copy of Cahiers du Cinema, and a Shakespeare exam contains lyrics from the Arctic Monkeys. Crucially, As You Like It doesn’t take itself too seriously, pragmatically accepting the limitations of recreating the text in an hour’s screentime.

The acting is of high standard, saturated with brooding glances and evocative undertones that counterbalance the breezy soundtrack and shots of sun-swept meadows.

Ashleigh Wheeler’s self-possessed Rosalind is the film’s standout performance, whilst Richard O’Brian as Jacques wanders through a field of cows with a camped-up melancholy that parodies modern teenage angst.

The dialogue is refreshingly downplayed and naturalistic – although in some of the longer speeches guilty of hollow delivery – and there is a tender attention to human relationships, especially that of the friendship between Rosalind and Roz Stone’s Celia.

However, As You Like It suffers from self-imposed limits- the organic, handheld camera style is hit and miss. Unusual, obtrusive viewing angles sometimes work with startling effect but are often awkward. Transitory shots are also unsuccessful as dialogue is lost in the scenes shot on location around college. Where the film really excels is in close up, with stunningly detailed soft-focus images of paper leaves in trees and rich stills of light reflecting off the river.

The production combines rich cinematography, a gorgeous desaturated palette, and a lush soundtrack from Matt Kennedy that magnifies birdsong, breathing, and the creaking of chairs to create a sensory experience well beyond the reach of standard student cinema.

Although in places the slick aesthetic is marred by inconsistencies in filming and delivery, As You Like It navigates the extreme cuts needed to cram the Bard into a single hour with refreshing dexterity and creativity.