'Moor' is less in this straightforward if much pared-down version of Shakespeare's story of scheming, jealousy and murder in 16th-century Venice. Kenneth Branagh's thin mouth and narrowed eyes make him ideal casting for the devious Iago - perhaps the Bard's sneakiest villain - but Laurence Fishburne and especially Irène Jacob are hard put to make the dialogue sound anything but stilted. Fishburne at least gets kudos for being the most striking screen Othello on record, alive with tattoos and dripping with jewellery, scalp shaved and beard trimmed to a provocative tuft. There are some strong moments in the subsequent action, but subtlety comes second-best in this plain man's guide to a literary classic.

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