Shakespeare in Love

Rating:
Summary: Superlatives aren't enough
Review: .
Shakespeare in Love is truly a comedy for the ages.

This outstanding film is much more than the sum of its very impressive parts.

Each of the cast may, justifiably, consider their work here as among the finest of their careers.

The direction is deft and smart and the staging and settings are nothing short of brilliant.

Likewise the cinematography is lush, stunning and elegant in the extreme.

Tom Stoppard's script is crisp and intelligent and is infested with clever Shakespearean references.

In its telling, Shakespeare in Love is sheer delight!

This fictional tale of young Will's romance with the beautiful Viola, set against a backdrop of the writing and premier of Romeo and Juliet, draws us in from its opening witticisms.

The characterisation is rich and warm - which further serves to engage us deeply in the unfolding narrative.

In a film jam-packed with magnificent performances, keep an eye out for Geoffrey Rush as the blundering Mr. Henslowe.

Simply superlative!

It's probably unfair to single out one star in such a luminous galaxy - all here are in fantastic form.

FIVE STARS for this wonderful, warm and witty film.


Rating:
Summary: Wonderful love story
Review: Watch Shakespeare in Love for the story, not the history. In terms of love affairs, this movie (aside from brief nudity) is top of the line. It tries to account for the years when Shakespeare "disappeared" in the 1590's- most likely to London, though much of his life is unknown. What we get is the love story between him and Lady Viola during the writing and performing of one of Shakespeare's most famous plays. The cast is truly amazing, with Gwenyth Paltrow as Lady Violet, Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare, Judy Dench as Queen Elizabeth, Rupert Everett as Christopher Marlowe, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Affleck, and Colin Firth.

However, I have to rant about how historically accurate (or, should I say, inaccurate) this film is. Shakespeare would never have acted in one of his own plays (much less in a leading role); Queen Elizabeth would never have attended one of the plays done in playhouses throughout London at that time; and Twelfth Night was not based on Shakespeare's supposed love affair, but upon the death of his son.

However, I have to say that the costumes are breathtaking.

Rating:
Summary: Not worth 7 Oscars but very entertaining nonetheless
Review: As a satire this movie was hugely entertaining. Some of the plot developments were so implausible that they might have fit well into one of Shakespeare's own plays quite nicely, and I strongly suspect that the screenwriters were quite deliberate in this regard. They also quite ruthlessly maul history when it serves their purposes --- something also to which the Bard could well relate. The dialogue & the storyline cruise along at a wonderful pace. Only when Will & Viola stand around getting all dreamy-eyed over each other does the movie begin to move into some dangerously cheesy territory.

But the cheesiness is kept more or less in check. Judi Dench & Geoffery Rush turn in great supporting performances. Colin Firth is wonderfully reptilian and one-dimensional a perfect Shakespearian villain (like Don John, for example) in many ways. Even Ben Affleck seems moderately competent and appears capable of acting; the movie probably deserves an award simply for managing to pull that off.

Did this movie deserve 7 Oscars? It is hard to argue that it did, because despite the great writing it is still a rather lightweight romantic comedy at its core. However, it is a lot of fun to watch and may tempt some people actually to read up on their Shakespeare (and possibly their Marlowe as well). It is hard to find fault in that.

Rating:
Summary: Charming romance comedy, but doesnt hold up that well
Review: Shakespeare in Love shocked critics when it beat out Saving Private Ryan for best Oscar picture. It also won Best Actress (Paltrow), best supporting actress (Judi Dench) and best screenplay (Tom Stoppard and Mark Norman). Upon second viewing though, both SIL and SPR are similar pictures: impressive at first, but neither hold up very well upon repeated viewings. The 'realistic' gore of SPR can't hide the fatal Spielberg sentimentality and simplemindedness. And SIL is just another cute romantic comedy, and the "clever" Bard of Avon references become too cute by half.
Tom Stoppard (most famous for Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) wrote the screenplay, about William Shakespeare's (Joseph Fiennes) inspiration for Romeo and Juliet. He has writer's block, and Romeo and Juliet is at first an uninspired hack job. But then he meets Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow), a wannabe actor, since women were not allowed onto Elizabethan stages. Viola is also engaged to an evil nobleman (Colin Firth). Will and Viola fall in love, and part of the movie's "cuteness" is having the characters speak famous Shakespearean lines as if they were spontaneous dialogue. For example, after Viola and Will have sex, Viola gushes, "It is a new world!" (This being of course a famous reference to The Tempest.)
The movie, as one might guess, is a mix of several tried-and-true genres: the romance comedy, the backstage drama, the artist-finds-muse tale, and slapstick. The movie benefits from being well-acted. Judi Dench won a supporting Oscar for her brief appearance as Elizabeth I, although it's really just a walk-on performance. The usually excruciating Ben Affleck is actually watchable as a pompous leading man Ned. Gwyneth Paltrow is very charming, although even she can't make the Shakespearean lines sound entirely spontaneous. Even with a short wig she's never even remotely convincing as a dress-up male. But her part is basically to look beautiful and be charming, and she fulfills those requirements. I dont know if she deserved the Best Actress Oscar, but ... Joseph Fiennes is also charming as William Shakespeare, and he wisely makes Will a quiet, sly character, instead of the usual droopy/flamboyant/manic poet. Geoffrey Rush and Colin Firth are also very funny.
So after all the 'clever' Shakespearean references irritate, what's left is a well-acted, sometimes funny romantic comedy. That's not a bad thing, although one wonders if it's really Best Picture material. I think Shakespeare in Love, by the way, is a good date movie, although all the boys I know hated it.