According to our extensive original research into the work of William Shakespeare, the play Coriolanus is about a Roman general who, feeling betrayed by his people, teams up with a sworn enemy for revenge. Sounds pretty dope, right? Well, it gets better: Ralph Fiennes’s take — with which he’s making his directorial debut — is a ramped-up modern-day hectic-war version also starring Gerard Butler (as the frenemy) and Jessica Chastain, a.k.a. the lady from Tree of Life. It’s not clear where this is supposed to be taking place, but the super-intense battle scenes look like Fallujah, only everyone’s talking all Shakespeare-y. (At one point, Brian Cox goes “Coriolanus has grown from man … to dragon†and it’s pretty badass.) The movie’s not out until December, for maximum Oscar consideration, so if you want to know what happens at the end, you’re going to have to read the play. Or just check out our research notes.
