Judi Dench Hates The Merchant of Venice

Shakespeare's play is worth a thousand Judi Denches. And once she has been flushed down the toilet of our collective memory, there will still be The Merchant of Venice. So much for the aesthetic intellect of actors! She should be forced to watch a continuous loop of her rank series As Time Goes By.

I don't like that crappy play neither! I saw Al Pacino in it and he was good, but it's an ugly sort of story. I like some other hateful stories, but this one, no. Niagara is good, with Marilyn and her boyfriend (trying to) killing hubby Joe Cotten. Postman Always Rings Twice with Lana and Garfield killing bumbly old hubby. Dracula sucking blood all over the place, but this cutting of flesh was an icky thing, plus all the Jew baiting.

I just read her book and it's one of the few negative things she says in it. it's like cuddling up with a nice old lady's thoughts, who happens to be a genius.

I agree it's not one of Shakespeare's best, but Judi must have been a smashing Portia.