Customer Reviews

Shakespeare in Love

5 star:		(313)
4 star:		(76)
3 star:		(51)
2 star:		(40)
1 star:		(61)

 

 

Shakespeare in Love is a film for anyone who loves art and literature
with a passion. Aside from being a beautiful love story, the film
itself is a "love letter" to the arts. I can only describe
it as a "golden" film, because that's what I think of when I
picture scenes from the movie...pure gold. I love Shakespeare, and
the brilliant screenplay manages to make a flesh and blood person out
of such an enigmatic historical figure - it may not be real, but it's
a lot of fun nonetheless. The acting is superb - Gwyneth Paltrow is
glorious, Judi Dench is fabulous, Geoffrey Rush is hilarious, and
Joseph Fiennes is the hottest thing to come along since his older
brother! I love the ending especially - Twelfth Night is my favorite
Shakespearean play, and the last line just speaks volumes: "For
she will be my heroine for all time, and her name will be Viola."
Perhaps the best thing about the film is the way it blends comedy and
tragedy together in such a bittersweet way.

One final note: I too
was surprised that this film won Best Picture, because I also loved
Saving Private Ryan. Both films were cinematic masterpieces of very
different kinds, and both were equally worthy. I'm glad the Academy
shook things up a little.bfounded while the final credits rolled. Marc
Norman and Tom Stoppard must have loved their subject matter,
researched the period with zeal as well as having the ability to
create a moving romantic drama.

The whole thing was created
out of the barest glimmer of fact concerning Shakespeare's life. It
focuses on the gap between his marriage in London as a young man and
his eventual return to London as a successful playwright. The theory
states that "suffering is the mother of creativity", so
Young William must have had a great deal of hardship indeed. Hence,
the opportunity for a wonderful movie to be made.

A handsome
young Shakespeare is introduced to us during a black period of
writer's block. He is portrayed as any other writer we could imagine;
poor, horny, suffering from professional jealousy and not particularly
respectable. He's over-committed to two theatres and selling vaporware
for all he's worth. Poorly named vaporware at that, "Romeo and
Ethyl the Pirate's Daughter".

But fate has more in store
for this hopeful scribbler than even he would dream. Enter stage left,
the love of his life, in the guise of an actor, shyly auditioning for
a part in his new play. (Shades of Blackadder here). He is immediately
taken by this youthfull stage strutter because of a seeming preference
for Bill's work over that of the leading playwright of the day,
Christopher Marlowe.

This interest takes him to the actor's
home, where Tomas Kent transforms himself into Viola De Lesseps the
refined daughter of a wealthy merchant. This magic act is only
possible because of the artful protection offered by Viola's nurse and
part time confidant, played by Imelda Staunton. And as with Clarke
Kent, no one can penetrate the cunning disguise of Mr Thomas Kent,
except for a friendly ferryman. And it is this very ferryman that puts
William on the right path in his pursuit of the lady Viola.


And so we get the privilege of watching William Shakespeare give
birth to the Famous Romeo and Juliet as a counterpoint to his torrid
and dangerous affair with a woman betrothed to Lord Wessex; one of the
most influential and powerful men in the city. The ups and downs, ins
and outs of this relationship, and its eventual end, are all
delightful to watch as well as being grist for the mill of
Shakespeare's future plays.

For anyone that has even a passing
familiarity with the Bard's work or just likes a good romance, take
the time to enjoy this special movie. In fact, take a few times
because it gets better with every viewing.

I honestly did not know what to expect when I first sat down to watch "Shakespeare In Love." Perhaps that was for the best, since this film teems with unexpected moments and twists, turning literary history upside down and giving it a clever and bawdy twist.

Gywenth Paltrow plays a young noblewoman who is expected to be demurely betrothed, but who wants none of the life ahead of her. She yearns for the theater, and, in her headstrong, ambitious drive, dresses like a boy to obtain a part in Will Shakespeare's newest drama. Of course, the two fall in love (hence the title!) and their duplicity leads to plot complications that get more and more outrageous. Literary jokes abound, but you don't need to know a whit about Shakespeare to enjoy this romp. This is a romantic comedy cloaked in Elizabethian times, an anachronism that is thoroughly satisfying.

Paltrow's Viola is gutsy, intelligent, and torn, a portrayal that deservedly earned her an Oscar. Joseph Fiennes makes a lovable, bumbling Will Shakespeare. The two display a chemistry that brings the witty script to life and elevates this film to a level above most romantic comedies.

This film should appeal to a wide range of viewers - even those who hated studying Shakespeare in school.

This movie really hit home for me. I just sat there in awe of the acting, the way the story unfolded. It totally engrossed me. I saw it three times at the movies and could have easily gone to see it again and again. When it won so many Academy Awards, I wasn't surprised except I thought Saving Private Ryan should have won Best Picture. I also felt that Tom Wilkinson didn't get the praise he deserved. His performance was, as usual for Tom, understated and perfect. I thought he should have been nominated instead of Geoffrey Rush, for best supporting actor, and I'm an aussie.

I also felt Joseph Fiennes should have got a Best Actor gong. Gwyneth was great but Joseph's performance of Will was exceptional to say the least.

The highlights for me were the unfolding of the two stories, (Romeo and Juliet & Will and Viola). Then the actual performance of Romeo and Juliet and the intertwining tragedy of Will and Viola. The way the audience reacted at the end said it all.

I think that 'Shakespeare In Love' is mainly a movie that females thoroughly love. The males in my circle of friends and family didn't quite GET IT so to speak.

Also deserving of mention were Colin Firth and the actor with the the stutter, which miraculously disappeared at the start of the play.

This is the kind of movie the Academy loves and through its love, rewards.

The script by Stoppard and Norman is erudite and cunning, passionate and playful, filled with witticisms by and about the Bard; and the parallels to Shakespeare and his work, especially the play within a play, Romeo and Juliet, and the play to come, Twelfth Night, are marvelous and a bit miraculous. The romantic direction by Madden conjures up an Elizabethan England and its London theatre with enough lusty color to delight the poet himself. The acting is wonderful with Gwyneth Paltrow conquering a very demanding and delightful four-part role as Viola/Tom Kent, and on the stage as first Romeo and then as Juliet! Joseph Fiennes as the young Shakespeare writing his Romeo and Juliet on the fly, fired with the energy from his adulterous love for the lovely Viola, is better than advertised.

Of course what would a Shakespearean play or a great Hollywood movie be without its bit players and supporting roles? Judi Dench as the queen in her Academy Award winning performance gives the impression of somebody doing something marvelously well but with such ease as to look unemployed. (I stole that line from somewhere.)

From the gutter snipe with his rodents to the queen's bad teeth, from Colin Firth's delightfully villainous Lord Wessex to Geoffrey Rush's wise, but bumbling stage manager, from the tavern trollops to the gentry at the ball (in which the sonnet within a play from Romeo and Juliet is once again given life by Fiennes and Paltrow) everything is expertly presented. You don't have to be a Shakespearean buff to appreciate this resplendent romantic comedy, but if you are, your experience will be enhanced.

This is Hollywood at its best. For all the clunkers and the mass-mindless indulgences that are the usual fare-tinsel town, you are forgiven!

Shakespeare in Love is a thoroughly researched, lovingly written and acted homage to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. It is the story of how the famous play about two star-crossed and doomed lovers came to be. Screenplay writers Mark Norman and Tom Stoppard say in the DVD extras that they wondered what Shakespeare was like before he was famous. They thought as a young, struggling writer, he would be like they themselves were: poor, horny, and suffering from writer's block. Much historical research was done, and the film is very accurate in its portrayal of Elizabethan society and times. The viewer learns a lot from the wonderful DVD extras. One thing the DVD does not mention that I was waiting for it to, is the placement of Christoper Marlowe in the film. Some people think that Shakespeare's plays were in fact written by Marlowe, Shakespeare's better known playwriting contemporary, until Marlowe was killed at age 29 in a tavern brawl. Shakespeare in Love works this controversy into the film in an ingenious and enjoyable way, that might put all doubts to rest! There are steamy sex scenes in the first half, just like Romeo and Juliet, so don't be shocked.

A large and splendid cast makes the film enjoyable and believable. There are so many good actors and actresses in this film it is impossible to list them all here. Joseph Fiennes is a wonderful young Will Shakespeare. He is the classic young lover, surprisingly nimble on his feet during fighting and escape scenes. Gwyneth Paltrow was, as the writers said, the perfect choice for Shakespeare's inspiration. They say on the DVD that she "has a spirituality about her," and indeed, that spirituality shines throughout the film. Colin Firth is wonderful as the villian, the scheming Lord Wessex. And Ben Affleck almost steals the show as actor Ned Alleyn, who was a real star of the times.

Alleyn comes complete with a posse, and that is not the only 20th century cultural reference. These many references make the film very lighthearted for the first half, almost too lighthearted. But it gets better, and becomes tragic and quite moving. Judy Dench is the icing on the cake as the stupendous Queen Elizabeth I herself. In fact, in her breathtaking costumes, she LOOKS like a cake. The costumes are one of the main reasons to see this film. The Academy Award for Best Costume Design was well-deserved, as were the other awards for Best Screenplay, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actress (Dench), and the three other Oscars the film received.

Go rent this DVD, anon!

This review refers to the Miramax Dec 1998 release DVD edition of "Shakespeare in Love".....

Had I written this review 2 months ago I would certainly have gone five stars for this DVD package. The film alone is worth that as is this edition(see above) of the DVD, an outstanding quality transfer in regards to picture and sound alike. As I was looking for the product page, I now see that Miramax(same studio of production as this one), has now come out with a "Collector's Series"(just released 1/14/03),with lots of special features of this same film. I'm one that usually will go for the less expensive edition, as a good quality transfer of my favorite films is more important to me than the "Extras", however I do enjoy them if the price is right! But Aye...Here's the rub....The new "Collector's Series" with all it's "Bonus" material IS by far the less expensive one! Ah me!

In 1998, "Oscar" had it's work cut out for him. Not only was it a controversial year (Elia Kazan was to recieve a "Lifetime Achievement Award" that year, but that's a story for another time), but the Academy had actually nominated films that were deserving of all the recognition they were to recieve. Although there were so many wonderful films to choose from that year(including "Gods and Monsters" and Affliction"), War movies and English Period pieces were the leading contenders. Leading the pack were two that were considered to be the most likely to win. Those were Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" and John Madden's "Shakespeare in Love". Terrance Malick's beautiful film "The Thin Red Line" was also in consideration. "Shakespeare" was leading the nods by 2(could this possibly be due to the fact that there were no women in "Saving Ryan" to nominate?) So the competetion would be pretty much head to head. When Spielberg picked up his Best Director Oscar for his wonderful tribute to the soldiers of WWII, we all thought, Well, there it is, he'll be back on stage one more time. But it was not to be, "Shakespeare in Love" was announced as the Best Picture, and I might add well deserved!

I love War Movies and "Saving Private Ryan" is one of the best, but "Shakespeare in Love", was a breath of fresh air, one that will keep you smiling from start to finish.It is the story of the young Will Shakespeare with a bit of writer's block and he's trying to find his muse for inspiration. He discovers her in the form of one Lady Viola, who he must meet with secretly( a la Romeo and Juliet) as she is pretending to be a boy(a la "The Twelfth Night") in order to be a part of the actor's group in the 1500's, and alas, The Lady Viola is promised to another. With his newly aquirred inspiration and feelings of love abounding, the young Bard's famous words now flow easily from quill to paper.

Anything you might expect to find in a play by Shakespeare, you will find in this wonderful original screenplay(also awarded Best by Oscar). There is comedy, romance, tragedy, duels, love triangles,royalty,all unfolding beautifully in this incredible film. If you have read any Shakespeare at all, you will often find yourself patting yourself on the back, for recognizing dialouge and events interspersed in the story that will later be found in his greatest works. You may even notice a hint of the long running scholarly debate of whether Shakespeare wrote his own plays. But it is not neccessary to be a fan of his to throughly enjoy the film.

This film garnered critical acclaim internationally as well as from Oscar(7 Oscars) and also for the well deserving cast. Performances by the likes of Judi Dench, Geoffrey Rush,Gwyneth Paltrow,Joseph Fiennes and Colin Firth will take your breath away.The costumes, cinematography, direction and the score all make for one all around outstanding film to be enjoyed for years to come.

As I mentioned the picture and sound is the best, and my only reason for the 4 stars is because of the price of this edition at this time.( I like to review the entire package) There is some bonus material(not shown in the tech info) and that is some notes on some of the real life figures that are a part of the story. Very informative.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow"......enjoy...Laurie

also recommended:
A Couch in New York
Antonia`s Line ~ Oscar Winning Original Version [Import, All-region] (Dvd)
Unbearable Lightness of Being [ NON-USA FORMAT, PAL, Reg.2 Import - Netherlands ]

The first time I saw the movie, my reaction was: "Hmm, not bad. An OK movie, but nothing striking. Maybe even got a bit turned off 'cuz it's such a 'chick movie'."

Two months later, I was dying to go back to the theater and watch it again - why, it was a mystery. So I paid a little more attention the 2nd time round, and I found out why subconsciously I'd already come to like that film after the first viewing.

To begin with, the dialogues are witty and very well-written. As someone who had never read any Shakespeare before (pardon me, Shakespeare gurus), I didn't know at first that there're many, many lines that were taken directly from the poet/playwright. As I read 12 of Shakepeare's plays and all of his sonnets after the movie (you can tell that I fell madly in love with Shakespeare after watching the film), I came to see how Shakespeare's own words were taken out and seamed together so cleverly and perfectly in the script. And as I re-watch the video, each time I continue to discover something new in the script that I didn't notice before.

Second, the way the Romeo/Juliet and Will/Viola stories intertwines together is just fabulous and done perfectly. The two stories bring each other to life and it's just a very creative and beautiful way of telling a story. The lead to the Twelth Night at the end is totally icing on an already-marvelous cake.

In a word, this movie is a classic.

1998 was the rebirth of the renaissance, and that year's nominated films proved that one didn't have to lug a Brittanica from a dusty bookshelf to enjoy a piece of history. "Elizabeth" and "Shakespeare In Love" were in high competition with many nominations in the same category, including Best Actress and Best Picture. Cate Blanchett was enrapturing as England's prudent and perservering monarch, but audiences were swept away by the fictitious yet contemporary fable of how "Romeo and Juliet" was birthed from one of the greatest literary minds in the world. This beautiful piece of filmmaking is director John Madden's delightful theory of how William Shakespeare, the celebrated but mystifying playwright, conjured one of the greatest romantic tragedies ever told in the history of theater. It is well cast as well as superbly directed, the actors clad in elaborate and colorful ball gowns and pantaloons correlating impeccably with the renaissance period. The sets are scrupulously designed and the cinematography is stunning, capturing each integral moment with precision and style. Born at a time when Hollywood was swallowed by the over-hyped action genre, "Shakespeare In Love" was a refreshing and welcome change.

Gwyneth Paltrow is radiant as the fair and virtuous Viola de Lesseps, a ray of sunshine and a wild spirit underneath her frill and fuss. In her determination to be a recognized thespian, she dons a bland and inconspicuous wig, giving herself the alias of Thomas Kent and heads to an audition for Shakespeare's pirate comedy "Romeo and Ethel". Not only is she sought after for her mesmerizing presence on stage, she becomes the object of Will's affections, revealing her true identity and becoming his lover and muse.

Joseph Fiennes was an excellent choice for the pining dramatist, a beguiling and head-turning gentleman with gumption to boot. He is exactly the opposite of what we know from the enigmatic author, a more preferred and desirable flesh-and-blood incarnation for the director's fictional premise and dazzling vision. He plays the part of the melodramatic and self-deprecating artist convincingly, feeding off his emotions for inspiration. His imagination is aroused intensely when he lays eyes upon Viola for the first time, and immediately afterward begins penning the poetic splendor that has eluded him for months. Out of his intense love affair and the heartwrenching despair of their uncontrollable fates comes his tragedy, one that will win the queen's heart and secure him a place in her royal court of artists and poets for life.

The supporting cast is incredibly gifted, especially the droll quirkiness of Geoffrey Rush's depiction of Philip Henslowe, a businessman with an inescapable debt and the lifesaving ability to negotiate. Also to be commended for brilliant theatrics is Colin Firth as the pompous and domineering Lord Wessex, Viola's betrothed and a conniving gold digger to boot. The ire and jealousy between Firth and Fiennes is electrifying and suspenseful, their opposing methodology making for the perfect chemistry. I also enjoyed seeing Rupert Everett as Christopher Marlowe, the man who makes no effort for ideas - they flow to him as if by a river. Judi Dench was perfectly snide and razor-sharp as Queen Elizabeth, but I don't think she was deserving of an Oscar. She had less screen time than the nurse (Imelda Staunton, who by the way, was the best nurse I've ever seen). Perhaps the Academy was so enamored with her in the past that there was no holding their breaths this time around.

Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard are to be commended for their nimble intermingling of famous Shakespearian lines and the overall admirable wit of their jovial and lighthearted screenplay. Thumbs up also go to editing and directing, both of which were consistently well balanced and effective. If you're looking for an uplifting flick without the overbearing fluff of most romantic comedies, then take a step in this direction. You'll be walking a path of unexpected enlightenment.

From the very beginning of the film, I was struck by the vivid depictions of London life in the late 16th century. I felt it was all so real, I was transported through time.

The actors are all wonderful, especially Gwyneth Paltrow, and the screenwriters didn't miss a thing; the story is so tight and well-polished and has a thorough knowledge of Shakespeare. It's a wonderful film, but don't knock it if you haven't seen it.

A lot of people believe that Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan should have won best picture during the year Shakespeare in Love won the trophy. I disagree. Although Saving Private Ryan is a technocally accomplished film, its not a refreshing experience as watching Shakespeare in Love. And the performances are great, everyone here is top-notch, from Gwyneth Platrow to Dame Judy Dench and even Ben Affleck, who gave a better performance in a supporting role than most of his leading roles. This is a story-driven film with rich characters and a satisfying ending. Highly recommended for every film fan.