Yet the film is such a cracking good entertainment I barely even noticed that its world makes no sense.

It's as political a production as it needs to be, and at its best, it feels as current and as timeless as a nightmare.

The whole cast - top-notch - takes Anthony Hopkins' lead and chews the scenery down to gristle and bone.

And naturally, with Hopkins on board, the rest of the cast was pretty terrific as well - to the point of unexpectedly turning King Lear into something of an ensemble piece.