Shakespeare in Love (1998, R)

Directed by John Madden (Mrs. Brown)

Written by Tom Stoppard (Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead) and Mark Norman (Cutthroat Island)

Starring Joseph Finnes (Elizabeth), Gwenyth Paltrow (A Perfect Murder), Geoffrey Rush (Shine), Ben Affleck (Good Will Hunting), Judi Dench (Mrs. Brown), and Colin Firth (The English Patient)

As Reviewed by James Brundage

To be clear about things, this is what Shakespeare in Love is. Shakespeare in Love is a comedy of mistakes about one gentleman in Verona (or, in this case, Elizabethan England) desperately trying to concoct Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter by the Twenty First Night.

Shakespearean puns aside, Shakespeare in Love actually does center about a young William Shakespeare (Joseph Finnes), righting a play on assignment known as Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter, in a period of no less than three weeks. However, he is making much bother about something: the fact that William Shakespeare, one of history's most prolific playwrights, has writer's block.

In former times, he was able to enjoy himself in adulterous fashion with everyone from the tired wives of Halifax to Othellina, the Mooress of Venice. Not one of the eight wives of Henry VII can do a bloody thing to complain about this lover.

Now, however, he is Hamlet, serf of Sweden with his beloved Ophellia. He has no inspiration, only angst. He does not like it as it is. This is, however, until he finds himself smitten with Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow). This temptress causes an emotional tempest.

But, keeping with the pilgrim's passion, he lusts after a woman engaged (do I hear Prince Paris in the wings?), this time to Lord Wessex (played by Colinn Firth, who lost another girlfriend to a Fiennes boy in The English Patient). Lord Wessex comes across with all of the charm of Yiago, Othellina's trusted friend, but he does it in such a funny way that you have to love him.

In fact, you have to love the entire movie. The way that you see the evolution of Romeo and Ethel evolve into Romeo and Juliet while a similar play is being shown in their lives is a perfect postmodern device: used before and equally well with Rozencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead, the highly satiric and intelligent play that launched Tom Stoppard onto the literary scene by telling the story of Hamlet from the view of the friends sent to spy upon him.

Hey! I went a paragraph without using a pun! I'm going to my myself something from the merchant of Paris!

The performances are worth writing sonnets about and put Caesar Augustus to shame, one of them already having earned a Golden Globe for Best Actress (Paltrow) and the movie is magical to watch.

What is most interesting to watch, however, is the shrew taming that Stoppard demonstrates over his script. Equally included are postmodern devices and plain old storytelling. Grounding humor mixed in with things King Richard the First and Fourth could have been proud of, not to mention any of the Henrys. Almost every line is tainted with Shakespearean reference. So, when you see someone laughing their head off for almost no reason, let them: there probably isn't an un-funny line in the script.

In fact, there are equally many lines there for just anyone. The way it opens has Geoffrey Rush bartering a deal with a loan shark to save his feet from coals. It has funny quips like, when Shakespeare begins talking in iambic pentameter, Rush saying "prose, please".

The fact is that Shakespeare in love is incredibly funny, incredibly brilliant, incredibly beautiful. It's exactly as I like it. Next to Saving Private Ryan I would have to call it the best film of the year, and boy is it a close second. Shakespeare buffs like myself will get all of the inside jokes, non-Shakespeare fans will be swept off their feet by the love story and by the humor that they'll get. Everyone will enjoy, from Timon of the New York City Homeless Shelter to the King of Lears, Bill Gates.

It doesn't even have an unhappy ending! But I can't tell you much more except this: all that ends well is well and that's the last pun you'll hear in this summer's tale of a late winter's daydream.