All Is True

(12A, 101mins)

All Is True is inspired by the fondly-held belief that, in 1513, following a devastating fire at the Globe Theatre, William Shakespeare (Kenneth Branagh) retired to Stratford and never wrote or acted again. There he faces a reckoning with his somewhat neglected wife (Judi Dench), and his angry, unmarried daughter, Judith (Kathryn Wilder). Scripted by Ben Elton and directed by Branagh, All Is True creates a lush and loving portrait of a literary lion in winter. It’s entertaining, the acting is excellent and Ian McKellen adds a welcome acidic touch as Shakespeare’s arrogant patron, the Earl of Southampton.