SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE
*** (out of 4) - a good movie
Release Date: January 8, 1999 Starring: Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Affleck, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson, Rupert Everett Directed by: John Madden Distributed by: Miramax Films MPAA Rating: R (sexuality, nudity, brief profanity) URL: http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio/reviews/1999/shakespeare.htm
The only historical figure that has been written about more than William Shakespeare is Jesus Christ, which explains why the Bard's materials are such a popular source for remakes, revisions, rewrites, inspiration, subtlety, credit, and dispute. Indeed, in recent years, American contemporary cinema has been swamped with a wash of Shakespearean products. Including this year's upcoming A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM, Shakespeare's material has been the cause for twenty-six big screen productions since 1990. But for a change of pace, MRS. BROWN director John Madden gives us a story of the Bard himself in the wonderfully vibrant SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE.
Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard's story is largely fantasy, although as the viewer soon learns, SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE is not a movie that takes itself seriously. (Will Shakespeare of the 1590's would've been married to Anne Hathaway, and he would've had a teenage daughter and two young sons; here he is a bachelor played by Joseph Fiennes.) Will is a writer struggling to come up with a great play, and his current comedy in the works -- "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter" -- just doesn't quite seem right. With the help of the great writer Christopher Marlowe (Rupert Everett), and the inspiration of true love with noblewoman Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), he changes things around and writes one of his greatest tragedies, "Romeo and Juliet."
The love story between Will and Viola loosely parallels the story of Romeo and Juliet, to great effect. Fiennes and Paltrow develop a sexy chemistry as the two lovers which gives the movie much momentum; this momentum smoothes out the bumps in the unfinished and largely unsuccessful comedy. The supporting roles are well filled out, from Geoffrey Rush as Will's worrisome agent, Philip, to Tom Wilkinson as the producer Hugh Fennyman. Even Ben Affleck, leading the troupe of actors, manages to make a favorable impression; and Judi Dench lends some brief moments of screen time as Queen Elizabeth I. Gwyneth Paltrow is by far, however, the standout of the lot, creating a large percentage of the forementioned vibrance.
The story is well-crafted if nothing else, although it has dangerous moments where it flirts with the "let's make a movie"-genre. The dialogue is breezy and lighthearted, and certainly accessible by the audience's lowest common denominator. There's something for everyone in this romantic comedy, making it prime date flick material. Although certainly not inspiring in any regard, it revels in a wholesome, well-rounded atmosphere that has been absent in many of 1998's pictures; the true-love story is one of the best around. Certainly recommendable when the traditional slew of indifferent year's-open releases is just around the corner.
-- Craig Roush kinnopio@execpc.com -- Kinnopio's Movie Reviews http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio
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