In the Bleak Midwinter

"The drama. The passion. The intrigue... And the rehearsals haven't even started."

1995 1h 39m EN

👍

7.1

SOLID

★7.1TMDB · 46

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Out of work actor Joe volunteers to help try and save his sister's local church for the community by putting on a Christmas production of Hamlet, somewhat against the advice of his agent Margaretta. As the cast he assembles are still available even at Christmas and are prepared to do it on a 'profit sharing' basis (that is, they may not get paid anything) he cannot expect - and does not get - the cream of the cream. But although they all bring their own problems and foibles along, something bigger starts to emerge in the perhaps aptly named village of Hope.

“The drama. The passion. The intrigue... And the rehearsals haven't even started.”

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Cast

Michael Maloney
Joe
Richard Briers
Henry
Joan Collins
Margaretta
Nicholas Farrell
Tom Newman
Julia Sawalha
Nina
Celia Imrie
Fadge
John Sessions
Terry Du Bois
Jennifer Saunders
Nancy

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Kenneth Branagh
Writers: Kenneth Branagh
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

31 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, shot by Roger Lanser. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Jimmy Yuill. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Neil Farrell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Michael Maloney and Richard Briers and Joan Collins carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The drama. The passion. The intrigue... And the rehearsals haven't even started.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0113403 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Kenneth Branagh directs. Roger Lanser behind the camera. Jimmy Yuill scores. Neil Farrell cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

131 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Directed by Kenneth Branagh, shot by Roger Lanser. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Jimmy Yuill. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Neil Farrell shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Michael Maloney and Richard Briers and Joan Collins carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "The drama. The passion. The intrigue... And the rehearsals haven't even started.".
7IMDB entry: tt0113403 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 46 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

The technical file

Cinematography: Roger Lanser
Original score: Jimmy Yuill
Editing: Neil Farrell
Production design: Tim Harvey
Costume design: Caroline Harris
Makeup / hair: Ivana Primorac
Runtime: 99 min · 1h 39m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: In the Bleak Midwinter (1995)

Also by

Kenneth Branagh

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Community reviews

What people are saying

DocTerminus2022-02-07
★ 7/10
Branagh's 2022 black and white film BELFAST is considered his most personal film. I offer that his 1995 black and white film IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER is equally autobiographical. And I guess that we will see a third black and white film in the future that would showcase the twilight of his career to close out the Branagh Trilogy. (Cross your fingers.) IN THE BLEAK MIDWINTER is also the first film that Branagh does not appear. It is arguably the least popular film in his oeuvre, partially because of the release in the United States under the name A MIDWINTER'S TALE. For ease of understanding, this review will refer to it as MIDWINTER. The storyline is brief, almost a British WAITING FOR GUFFMAN as a small group of theatrical performers are mounting an overly ambitious, underly funded production of that old Christmas classic, HAMLET. Yes the everyone's dead at the end HAMLET. It even results in a powerful movie producer attending opening night in an environment not typical to great theatre. The screenplay is filled with great characters and very funny circumstances. Although not on screen, Branagh's voice is loud and clear. In fact, by this sixth film of his, we are able to see a bit of critical weakness. Branagh's films are lacking in quiet moments - usually wall to wall dialogue mixed with Patrick Doyle's regal musical scoring. This film is the first to subtly address that. In fact, it ends with many payoffs that the heart understands oh so well. MIDWINTER is a very good film, but will likely remain his most forgettable work... Until my dream Branagh Trilogy Box Set exists!

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