Since his 1989 breakthrough “Henry V,” Kenneth Branagh has built a reputation for esteemed Shakespeare adaptations and performances, including a recent run performing “Macbeth” in a deconsecrated church in Manchester, England. Yet his career also crackles with pop culture, from his much-maligned take on Frankenstein (1994) to “Thor” (2011).
“I want to use my love of storytelling and express my belief there are fewer barriers between so-called high and low culture,” Branagh, 53, has said. “I give the same amount of passionate attention and enthusiasm to all the things I’m lucky enough to do.”
The Irish-born triple-threat — actor, director, and writer — brings his efforts to both sides of the camera this week with “Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.” He directed the thriller, based on characters created by Tom Clancy, and plays Viktor Cherevin, a Russian oligarch menacing CIA analyst Ryan (Chris Pine). Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley co-star.
I’m curious to see what Branagh and Pine do with a character previously played by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck. (An early assessment from Newsday sounds promising.)
At Word and Film, we had a tough time parsing out where we think Branagh does his best work. For more on his varied career, click here.