On paper, 'Hamnet' sounds like the most Oscary film ever: a movie about William Shakespeare, played by the magnetic Paul Mescal. Yet the film sidelines both men to supporting roles, focusing instead on Shakespeare's wife, Anne Hathaway, long dismissed as a dumpy, illiterate woman. In 'Hamnet', she is referred to as Agnes and played by Irish actor Jessie Buckley, who delivers a performance that could make a lamp-post evoke pain.
The film, based on Maggie O'Farrell's novel, takes imaginative flight from sparse historical facts. In 1582, an 18-year-old Shakespeare married 26-year-old Anne Hathaway, who was pregnant. In 1596, their 11-year-old son Hamnet died, likely from plague. Shakespeare later wrote 'Hamlet', naming his tragic hero after his son. O'Farrell co-scripted with director Chloé Zhao, giving the film a tremendous female gaze.
Some audiences have criticised the lack of historical accuracy—was Agnes really a feminist falconer? Most likely not. But the film argues this is no worse than the misogynistic vilification of her as a dull-witted predator. Buckley is a dead cert for Best Actress; her raw howl of grief after her son's death should secure the statue. It is an astonishing moment.
Despite Buckley's performance, 'Hamnet' has faced a mini-backlash, labelled as emotionally manipulative grief porn. The reviewer, usually a shameless blubber, did not shed a tear but was reminded of a GCSE history lesson where a teacher claimed women in Victorian London would not have grieved deeply due to high child mortality. 'Hamnet' reveals the inner lives of all the Annes and Agneses, showing a shimmering inner life through Buckley. All characters are played beautifully, including Emily Watson as Shakespeare's stern mother and Joe Alwyn as Agnes's supportive brother.
