Shakespeare in Love

Starring:Gwyneth Paltrow, Jospeh Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson
Directed by:John Madden
Rating:R
Genre:Drama, Romance
1998

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Awards: 7 Academy Awards 1998: Best Picture, Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), Best Supporting Actress (Judi Dench), Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, Best Musical or Comedy Score; Golden Globe Awards: Best Picture (Musical/Comedy), Best Screenplay, Best Actress- Musical/Comedy (Gwyneth Paltrow); Golden Satellite Award: Best Picture (Comedy/Musical); Chicago Film Critics Award: Best Screenplay, Most Promising Actor (Joseph Fiennes); Screen Actors Guild: Best Actress (Gwyneth Paltrow), Best Ensemble Cast; Writers Guild of America: Best Original Screenplay

Summary:Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) can't seem to start his new play. No matter what he does, he simply has no motivation. That's until he meets and falls for Lady Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow). Now, as the play begins to take shape, the actors from his theater start rehearsing, including a young talented actor, who is really Lady Viola in disguise. Will soon learns that Viola is promised to marry a rich duke. Now, as he writes the greatest love love ever told, he's living the greatest love story almostnever told.

Review:

Tim: When a film wins the Academy Award for Best Picture (like this did in 1998), you expect it to be a fairly decent movie. This film blows all expectations away- it's simply amazing. Being an English major in college, this film is right up my ally- but anyone that knows anything about the most famous author in the history of the world, will enjoy this film.

One of the many reason this film works so well are all the subtle allusions to various events in Shakespeare's life, inside jokes that those knowledgeable of Shakespeare will find hilarious, comments on contemporaries of Shakespeare, and oh yes- the good old fashioned humor that people will find funny even if they couldn't tell William Shakespeare from William Shatner.

Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this film is the performance by Gwyneth Paltrow. She truly deserved the Oscar nomination, and in my mind, there was no competition. Her Oscar-winning performance is incredible- truly the performance of her life. She's called upon to show a wide range of emotion, and act not only as Viola, but as Viola pretending to be a man, and then Viola (dressed as a man) acting the part of Romeo. Paltrow is stunning in this film, going all out, at times bursting with emotion, at others, reserved, while churning inside. She is remarkable in this film, something you really have to see.

The rest of the cast is amazing as well. Dench won Best Supporting Actor for her role as Queen Elizabeth, which was quite good. Joseph Fiennes is perfect as Will Shakespeare, giving great facial expressions, showing Shakespeare to be a tormented and torn man deeply in love. Ben Affleck doesn't have a whole lot to do, but he does have some fairly funny lines.

Perhaps the most important aspect of this film to mention is that it is a comedy. It appears to be a serious love story, and while the love story is pretty serious, this is not a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet- while it does have several tragic parts to it, more than anything it is a comedy, and you will definitely laugh. It helps if you're knowledgeable about the life of William Shakespeare- because then you'll laugh so hard you'll cry. If you have limited knowledge, you'll still find the film funny, but I recommend getting a biography on Shakespeare, and then watching it again. The humor in this film is so intelligent, so witty, and so sly. For example, someone is talking to Will and says, "The show must..." then pauses. Will encourages him to continues quickly saying, "Go on!" Its the subtle humor than makes this film great.

If you haven't seen this film, you're really missing out. This was THE film of 1998, and no true movie fan can go without seeing this film. This original comedy works on so many different levels, and is simply a joy to watch. It puts an interesting spin on the life of one of the most famous men in the history of the world- and you'll laugh your ass off, too.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Great Expectations, Romeo and Juliet, Elizabeth, Good Will Hunting, Gladiator