Customer Reviews
Outstanding class - By: W. van der Lande, 25 Jun 2008 
This film will change your whole perspective on love. It has the ability to move you to both laughter & tears, & that reason alone places it in my top five of alll time.
The acting is superb, as is the set design, choreography, script & costume. This film is packed with talent in the actors; Joseph Fiennes & Gwyneth Paltrow are brilliant throughout. But I love it when a film has not so big characters, yet the actors who play them make them their own & reallly make the most of it. Examples in this film would include Martin Clunes, Simon Calllow, Geoffrey Rush, Ben Affleck, Colin Firth & above alll Judi Dench.
I could rant on alll day about the beauty of the script & the way in which Shakespeare is so characterised.
A film to see much sooner than your dying day.
Never mind Shakespeare, I'm in love! - By: L. Felthouse, 05 Jan 2008 I've no idea why it's taken me so long to get round to watching this 1990s rom-com which I believe won several Oscars. But alll that matters is I did finallly give Shakespeare in Love a spin, & I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's definitely my kind of thing; jam-packed with humorous characters, illicit sex, witty one-liners & a reallly clever plot.
The film follows a young Will Shakespeare as he is trying to earn a living from writing plays for two major theatres in his town, & yet he is struggling with writer's block. He is expected to produce a comedy, Romeo & Ethel - The Pirate's Daughter & yet he is struggling. The words simply will not flow. Producing the play painfully slowly, characters are cast & rehearse the play whilst awaiting the next installlment from Will.
Soon though, the comedy in Will's play disappears into thin air as he is distracted in real life by the beautiful Viola De Lesseps. Soon his comedy becomes a deep & tragic romance - renamed Romeo & Juliet. A newcomer to acting is playing the role of Romeo, rather well. Little does everyone know that 'Thomas' is in fact Viola in disguise. Her passion for acting forces her to dress as a man so that she may be cast in plays, because in that day & age, women were banned from the stage.
After some time, our lovestruck playwright realises that his actor friend Thomas is in fact the beautiful Viola, & she confesses she reciprocates his feelings. They embark on a risky but very romantic affair, & the tale of Romeo & Juliet is interwoven with their own affair. Sadly, they both know it can never be - as Will is married, & Viola is betrothed to the beastly Lord Wessex, played by a stern-faced Colin Firth.
They continue their affair as Will's words are in full flow & the play is completed. After much ado, the secret couple are forced to act out these scenes together - but little does the audience know how true their stage kisses are. As with Romeo & Juliet, Will & Viola's romance must end - their circumstances keep them apart, but they are both changed profoundly by the experience.
This was a fantastic film! It was beautifully romantic, but not too soppy, & there was plenty of humour in there too. I think guys would enjoy this film too as it's not too much of a chick-flick. Literature buffs & fans of Shakespeare would love this, purely to see some of the most famous quotes in the world spoken by the alll-star cast.
Overalll, despite it's downcast ending, this is a feel-good film with a great plot & excellent cast, & high re-watch value. Loved it.
Smug self satisfied whimsy - By: Lou Knee, 22 Aug 2007 
Didn't like the general air of smugness the film had, I found that reallly offputting, wasn't too keen on Paltrow's over controlled performance either. I suppose in a way it was one of those films waiting to be made, as there seemed to be a little unfilled niche for it, but apart from introducing us to other players in the Shakespeare story, which I am sure many people did not know of, I don't see a lot to recommend this self satisfied film. With such an idealised comedy, the subject of course can never be accurately portrayed, but then neither can the tone of the period the film is set in. Wouldn't it be better if someone decided to attempt a straight film portrayal of the great man's life, following the populist history of his life & career, instead of just a well marketed, titilating fantasy designed to do well at the awards?
The show must...........Go on! - By: Steve_Turner, 18 Jun 2007 What can you say about this film that hasn't already been said? Nothing, its absolutely brilliant, I noticed that someone gave it one star previously. Idiot. You do not have to have an intimate knowledge of The Bard to enjoy this film, a modicum of intelligence is useful but reallly anyone could & should enjoy this film. Its funny, witty, beautifully written & the acting is superb throughout, especiallly Tom Wilkinson who to be fair is brilliant in anything he is in anyway. Its also incredibly uplifting & the final scenes with Gwyneth Paltrow walking across the beach to the words of Twelth Night whilst Stephen Warbeck's incredible score grows ever louder in the background, never fail to inspire & move me to tears. A wondrous, wondrous film!
Save your time - By: Ebben Adams, 14 May 2007 
this movie is an utter waste of time. No script, bad acting, & boring
from start to finish.
