Sonnet 149 has an air of 'what more can I do?' and frustration about it as the writer declares how much he gives himself over to the subject, rejecting those that she looks down on, giving up self in honor of her and other such approaches, even though it makes no difference. He eventually concludes that he will never be loved by the subject. In the film it is a fairly straight delivery of the sonnet text, without too much addition. By virtue of the red rose the young man carries, we know there is a broken love of some form here and his manner adds to this as he does seem in despair somewhat. Although the man is on the move through the streets of Dumbo out to the little park there, the film doesn't add too much in terms of context beyond the actual delivery.
This is not a problem since essentially the words are enough, and a performance and prop are more than adequate to bring it off. The location gives a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan but isn't really used much beyond that since there doesn't really appear to be a reason for it or a link to the film – again, no problem since it is just a cool location. Watkins' performance felt a little bit overwrought to me, mainly because it felt like I was suddenly thrown into the middle of something and not given time to understand him before I had to process the extent of his anguish. By a handful of lines in this didn't feel quite the same, so many a slower descent would have helped? The film looks decent enough but, although the sound is clear, I didn't like the way it was louder depending on the proximity to the camera. Yes I get this is the real sound (things far away sound that way!) but the dip/rise in volume levels distracts and makes some sections a little harder to hear by contrast.
It is still a good delivery though; it plays it fairly straight, gives a solid performance and moves through the location. I won't say it stood out as overly memorable as a result, but it is a clear and accessible delivery of the text, so really there is not too much wrong with that.
This is not a problem since essentially the words are enough, and a performance and prop are more than adequate to bring it off. The location gives a great view of the Brooklyn Bridge and Manhattan but isn't really used much beyond that since there doesn't really appear to be a reason for it or a link to the film – again, no problem since it is just a cool location. Watkins' performance felt a little bit overwrought to me, mainly because it felt like I was suddenly thrown into the middle of something and not given time to understand him before I had to process the extent of his anguish. By a handful of lines in this didn't feel quite the same, so many a slower descent would have helped? The film looks decent enough but, although the sound is clear, I didn't like the way it was louder depending on the proximity to the camera. Yes I get this is the real sound (things far away sound that way!) but the dip/rise in volume levels distracts and makes some sections a little harder to hear by contrast.
It is still a good delivery though; it plays it fairly straight, gives a solid performance and moves through the location. I won't say it stood out as overly memorable as a result, but it is a clear and accessible delivery of the text, so really there is not too much wrong with that.