Review of Shakespeare in Love (1998) by Chris W — 01 Jun 2011

This a romantic dramedy (mostly a comedy though) about Shakespeare that is very Shakespearean. Shakespeare is trying to write what will become Romeo and Juliet, but is poor and suffering from writer's block. A chance encounter with a noble woman who wants to act leads her to disguise herself as a man to take part in theater, which leads her to begin an affair with Will, causing him to end his writer's block thanks to his new muse.

This movie has it all: comedy, drama, romance, intrigue, mistaken identities, gender bending and disguises, female empowerment. the works. There's all sorts of references to Shakepeare's works and, while the film is fiction, many of the characters are fictionalized versions of real human beings. I think this is a very fun and entertaining movie, and while it is a good and solid affair, I don't think it is really a truly great film. I can see why it was nominated for Best Picture, but I don't feel that it should have won, especially not when it was up against Saving Private Ryan.

The sets, costumes, and all of that are fantastic. I said the film is funny, but most of the humor is of the wit and in-joke varities. The drama is slight, but adds some emotional weight. The cast are all pretty good (a large cast with lots of knowns), and they all give pretty good performances, some better tha nothers. Affleck is okay, but unlike Paltrow, has some trouble with the accent. Paltrow won her Oscar heres as did Dench, and they are both great, especially the former. Joseph Fiennes (who a friend of mine once compared me to) is also really good. He needs more work. He's not as good as his brother Ralph, but he's got talent. Rush looks like he's having fun hamming it up, and Firth makes for a decent "bad guy".

All in all, a very well made and enjoyable film. The more you know about or enjoy Shakespeare, the more you'll probably like this. Even if you don't, you might find something worthwhile, especially if you enjoy a good tale of romance, forbidden love, or have an interest in the arts.