Editing Kenneth Branagh (section)

=== 1989–1999: Breakthrough ===
[[File:Emma Thompson Césars 2009.jpg|thumb|right|170px|Branagh starred in numerous films and stage plays with [[Emma Thompson]]]]
A year later, in 1989, Branagh co-starred with [[Emma Thompson]] in the Renaissance company's stage revival of ''[[Look Back in Anger]]''. Judi Dench directed both the theatre and television productions, presented first in [[Belfast]] then at the [[London Coliseum]] and [[Lyric Theatre, London|Lyric Theatre]]. In 1990, he wrote his autobiography ''Beginning'', recounting his life and acting career up to that point. In the book's introduction, he admits that the main reason for producing the book was "money" and that "The deal was made, and a handsome advance was paid out. The advance provided the funds to buy accommodation for the Company's offices, this moving Renaissance out of my flat and bringing me a little closer to sanity."<ref>{{Cite book|last=Branagh, Kenneth|title=Beginning|date=1990|publisher=Norton|isbn=0-393-02862-3|edition=1st American|location=New York|page=ix|oclc=20669813}}</ref>

Notable non-Shakespeare films in which Branagh has acted in and directed include the [[neo-noir]] romantic thriller ''[[Dead Again]]'' (1991) starring Branagh, [[Emma Thompson]], [[Andy Garcia]], and [[Derek Jacobi]]. The film premiered at the [[Berlin International Film Festival]] where it competed for the [[Golden Bear]] and received critical acclaim. The following year he directed the British comedy-drama film ''[[Peter's Friends]]'', with a cast including former student friends Emma Thompson, [[Hugh Laurie]], [[Tony Slattery]], and [[Stephen Fry]], as well as [[Imelda Staunton]] and [[Rita Rudner]]. The film received positive reviews with critics comparing it favorably as the British version of ''[[The Big Chill (film)|The Big Chill]]'' (1982). The film earned two [[Evening Standard British Film Awards]] for Branagh and Thompson.

Branagh is known for his film adaptations of [[William Shakespeare]], beginning with the critically acclaimed ''Henry V'' (1989), later followed by Shakespeare's romantic comedy ''[[Much Ado About Nothing (1993 film)|Much Ado About Nothing]]'' (1993). The latter film premiered at the [[1993 Cannes Film Festival]] where it competed for the [[Palme d'Or]]. The film starred Branagh, Thompson, [[Denzel Washington]], [[Kate Beckinsale]], [[Keanu Reeves]], and [[Michael Keaton]]. [[Vincent Canby]] film critic of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised Branagh's direction writing, "Now he has accomplished something equally difficult. He has taken a Shakespearean romantic comedy, the sort of thing that usually turns to mush on the screen, and made a movie that is triumphantly romantic, comic and, most surprising of all, emotionally alive."<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/07/movies/review-film-a-house-party-of-beatrice-benedick-and-friends.html|title= Review/Film; A House Party of Beatrice, Benedick and Friends|work= The New York Times|date= 7 May 1993|access-date= August 2, 2023|last1= Canby|first1= Vincent}}</ref>

However, Branagh had a commercial misstep with his adaptation of the [[horror (genre)|horror]] film ''[[Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (film)|Mary Shelley's Frankenstein]]'' (1994). The film starred Branagh, [[Robert De Niro]], [[Helena Bonham Carter]], [[Tom Hulce]], and [[Ian Holm]]. It premiered at the [[London Film Festival]] where it received negative reviews. ''[[The New York Times]]'' film critic [[Janet Maslin]] wrote of Branagh's failure, "[He] is in over his head. He displays neither the technical finesse to handle a big, visually ambitious film nor the insight to develop a stirring new version of this story. Instead, this is a bland, no-fault ''Frankenstein'' for the '90s, short on villainy but loaded with the tragically misunderstood".<ref>{{cite web |date=4 November 1994 |first=Janet |last=Maslin |author-link=Janet Maslin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/04/movies/film-review-frankenstein-a-brain-on-ice-a-dead-toad-and-voila.html |title=Movie Review - - FILM REVIEW: FRANKENSTEIN; A Brain on Ice, a Dead Toad and Voila! |work= [[New York Times]] |access-date=2016-08-27}}</ref> He then directed the minor British romantic comedy ''[[In the Bleak Midwinter (film)|In the Bleak Midwinter]]'' (1995) to positive reviews.
[[File:Hamlet - Michele Rapisardi.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Branagh starred as and directed the film ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996)]]
Also in 1995, Branagh portrayed [[Iago]] in [[Oliver Parker]]'s ''[[Othello (1995 film)|Othello]]'' (1995) acting opposite [[Laurence Fishburne]] as [[Othello (character)|Othello]]. The film received largely positive reviews, particularly for Branagh's performance which earned a [[Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role]] nomination. [[Janet Maslin]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' praised his acting writing, "Mr Branagh's superb performance, as the man whose [[Machiavelli]]an scheming guides the story of Othello's downfall, guarantees this film an immediacy that any audience will understand."<ref name=Maslin>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/12/14/movies/film-review-fishburne-and-branagh-meet-their-fate-in-venice.html|title=FILM REVIEW;Fishburne and Branagh Meet Their Fate in Venice|first=Janet|last=Maslin|newspaper=The New York Times|date=14 December 1995}}</ref>

Branagh returned to directing, in the acclaimed adaptation of ''[[Hamlet (1996 film)|Hamlet]]'' (1996). Critics have theorised it might be the greatest film adaptation of ''Hamlet'' of all time. The film is noted for its epic scale and cast. The film ran four hours and was shot completely in [[70 mm film]]. The cast includes Branagh, [[Kate Winslet]], [[Derek Jacobi]], [[Julie Christie]] and [[Rufus Sewell]]. Critic [[Roger Ebert]] of ''[[The Chicago Sun-Times]]'' praised Branagh's direction and acting, declaring, "One of the tasks of a lifetime is to become familiar with the great plays of Shakespeare. 'Hamlet' is the most opaque. Branagh's version moved me, entertained me and made me feel for the first time at home in that doomed royal court."<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/hamlet-1996|title= Hamlet movie review|website= [[Roger Ebert|rogerebert.com]]|access-date=2 August 2023}}</ref> The film received four [[Academy Award]] nominations including for [[Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay|Best Adapted Screenplay]] for Branagh.

Post-''Hamlet'', Branagh took a break from directing choosing to act in films directed by [[auteur]] directors. He starred in [[Robert Altman]]'s legal thriller ''[[The Gingerbread Man (film)|The Gingerbread Man]]'' (1998), [[Paul Greengrass]]' dramedy ''[[The Theory of Flight]]'' (1998) and [[Woody Allen]]'s celebrity satire ''[[Celebrity (1998 film)|Celebrity]]'' (1998). The following year he starred in the Western film ''[[Wild Wild West]]'' opposite [[Will Smith]], [[Kevin Kline]], and [[Salma Hayek]], which received negative reviews. During this time Branagh took on voice roles playing the title role in BBC radio broadcasts of ''Hamlet'' and ''[[Cyrano de Bergerac (play)|Cyrano de Bergerac]]'', and the role of Edmund in [[King Lear]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://watershade.net/wmcclain/ws-audio.html |title=Shakespeare on Audio |publisher=Watershade.net |access-date=6 August 2014}}</ref> Branagh has narrated several [[audiobook]]s, such as ''[[The Magician's Nephew]]'' by [[C. S. Lewis]]<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.addall.com/author/2128343-1 | title=Kenneth Branagh Book Search | publisher=AddALL.com | access-date=15 January 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012173111/http://www.addall.com/author/2128343-1 | archive-date=12 October 2007 | url-status=dead }}</ref> and ''[[Heart of Darkness]]'' by [[Joseph Conrad]]. In 1998, he narrated the 24-episode documentary series [[Cold War (TV series)|''Cold War'']].<ref name=cnnarchive>{{cite web|url=http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/01/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210013042/http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/cold.war/episodes/01/|url-status=dead|archive-date=10 December 2008|title=CNN – Cold War|website=[[CNN]]|date=10 December 2008}}</ref> Branagh also narrated the BBC documentaries ''[[Walking with Dinosaurs]]'', ''[[World War 1 in Colour|World War I in Colour]]'', ''[[Walking with Beasts]]'' and ''[[Walking with Monsters]]'', and the BBC miniseries ''Great Composers''.