Branagh seemed stuck with inertia in this period piece as he seemed to consider every sentence before speaking.. However, the rest of the cast were not so dumbstruck and if anything this little tale served to ensure that Shakespeare was first a man of his time and not just a playwrght. Excellent production, but this was rather slow and plodding but was well served by some fine cameos, particularly from Judi Dench and Ian McKellen.