Shakespeare in Love ★★★★ 1998 (R) Lively romantic comedy about a frustrated Elizabethan playwright suffering from writer's block—who just happens to be William Shakespeare (Fiennes). Will owes a comedy to bankrupt theatre manager Henslowe (Rush) but just can't come up with a suitable story. His creative (and other) juices are sparked by wealthy beauty Viola De Lesseps (Paltrow), who so loves the theatre that she disguises herself as a boy in order to act. (Women are forbidden to be seen on the stage.) But their affair is bittersweet since Viola is about to be married. Ah well, at least Will comes up with "Romeo and Juliet." Terrific script, fine performances, spectacular costumes and cinematography, and you don't have to be a Shakespeare scholar to enjoy yourself. 122m/C VHS, DVD, Wide. Joseph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Affleck, Geoffrey Rush, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, Simon Callow, Tom Wilkinson, Imelda Staunton, Jim Carter, Rupert Everett, Martin Clunes, Anthony Sher, Joe Roberts;
Director:
John Madden;
Writer:
Marc Norman, Tom Stoppard;
Writer:
Richard Greatrex;
Cameo:
Stephen Warbeck. Oscars '98: Actress (Paltrow), Art Dir./Set Dec., Costume Des., Orig. Screenplay, Picture, Support. Actress (Dench), Orig. Mus./Comedy Score; British Acad. '98: Film, Film Editing, Support. Actor (Rush), Support. Actress (Dench); Golden Globes '99: Actress—Mus./Comedy (Paltrow), Film—Mus./Comedy, Screenplay; MTV Movie Awards '99: Kiss (Joseph Fiennes/Gwyneth Paltrow); N.Y. Film Critics '98: Screenplay; Natl. Soc. Film Critics '98: Support. Actress (Dench); Screen Actors Guild '98: Actress (Paltrow), Cast; Writers Guild '98: Orig. Screenplay; Broadcast Film Critics '98: Orig. Screenplay.
