Measure for Measure (2019)

(On Cable TV, July 2022) Adapting a lesser-known Shakespeare play to modern-day lower-class urban Australia, Measure for Measure goes for a complex web of modern-day issues (drug dealing, Islamophobia and romance being only a few of them) featuring an ensemble cast led by Hugo Weaving. The result may have its moments, but remains unremarkable and is not worth a recommendation. For all of the potential complexities of its ensemble drama, much of the film eventually boils down to a generic crime story interacting with a forbidden romance. Weaving is as good as usual as an elderly crime lord, while Megan Hajjar/Smart is quite likable in the lead female role. Alas, bland execution from writer-director Paul Ireland makes the film slower, duller and grittier than it should have been, making it difficult to remain interested in what’s happening before the precipitating burst of violence. While the glimpse at an Australian housing project can be interesting at times, Measure for Measure doesn’t manage to use its elements effectively, and the result is surprisingly forgettable.