Twelfth Night

Though less intensely marketed than its Kenneth Branagh-directed competitors, this production of Shakespeare's comic masterpiece is an absolute joy. Directed by Trevor Nunn and featuring the always reliable Ben Kingsley, Helena Bonham Carter, and Nigel Hawthorne, this familiar tale of the shipwrecked twins Viola and Sebastian is set in what looks like Edwardian England, and can be enjoyed by even the Shakespeare-challenged for its wonderful script condensation, superb acting, and first-rate production values. Librarians will get a big kick out of seeing Sebastian glued to his Baedeker's Illyria when he first arrives in the city. As the video box proclaims, "Shakespeare is hotter in the ‘90s than he was in the 1600s!" Indeed. Highly recommended, even if you already own the 1979 BBC-TV production. (K. Glaser)