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    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1990s
    Movies - 1990s Movies - S 3 Mins Read

    Shakespeare in Love (1998)

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    Boyish Will Shakespeare (Joesph Fiennes, Ralph’s younger brother) pours out his troubles to a 16th-century shrink – the Bard-to-be (or not-to-be if he doesn’t overcome his writer’s block) can’t find the muse to help him finish his new play, Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate’s Daughter.

    His wife is no help. She’s back with the kids in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

    Enter Viola de Lesseps (Gwyneth Paltrow), a highborn lady with a yen to act, but since the profession is forbidden to women, Viola dons her best boy-drag, auditions for the role of Romeo, and ends up kissing the playwright (don’t ask) and unblocking all his fluids – bodily and creative.

    The devilishly clever script by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman takes rollicking pleasure in twisting historical facts to suit its fancy, and the mischievous wordplay between Will and Viola actually makes literacy seem sexy.

    It helps that Gwyneth Paltrow has never looked more radiant or acted with such spirit. She even livens up the stolid Fiennes, who makes Will seem a changed man after one gander at Viola’s nipples.

    There are, of course, impediments to love. Will is married, and Viola has been promised to the priggish Lord Wessex (Colin Firth) by Queen Elizabeth herself.

    Judi Dench plays the virgin Queen with a wicked comic bite that commands attention.

    Geoffrey Rush is uproarious as Philip Henslowe, the theatre owner who encourages Will to pepper his play with action and “a bit with a dog” to please the groundlings.

    Ben Affleck (Paltrow’s off-screen love) takes the small role of an ego-bloated thespian and mines it for rich laughs. And Rupert Everett does wonders with an even smaller role as Christopher Marlowe, a rival playwright who nonetheless graciously provides Will with the plot for his Romeo play and urges him to change Ethel’s name to Juliet.

    Brush up your Shakespeare and you’ll enjoy the jokes even more, but the film is at its most touching when the group of oddballs puts on the first performance of Romeo and Juliet in the presence of the Queen and everything goes wonderfully right, from the delivery of the prologue by a formerly stuttering tailor (Mark Williams) to Viola’s stepping in at the last minute to play Juliet.

    A woman onstage creates a scandal, and the play stirs a revolution.

    Will Shakespeare
    Joseph Fiennes
    Viola De Lesseps
    Gwyneth Paltrow
    Lord Wessex
    Colin Firth
    Queen Elizabeth
    Judi Dench
    Christopher Marlowe
    Rupert Everett
    Philip Henslowe
    Geoffrey Rush
    Ned Alleyn
    Ben Affleck
    Lady De Lesseps
    Jill Baker
    Sir Robert De Lesseps
    Nicholas Le Prevost
    Hugh Fennyman
    Tom Wilkinson
    Lambert
    Steven O’Donnell
    Frees
    Tim McMullan
    Makepeace, the Preacher
    Steven Beard
    Dr Moth
    Antony Sher
    Will Kempe
    Patrick Barlow
    Richard Burbage
    Martin Clunes
    Rosaline
    Sandra Reinton
    Tilney, Master of the Revels
    Simon Callow
    Henry Condell
    Nicholas Boulton
    Nol
    Barnaby Kay
    Ralph Bashford
    Jim Carter
    Peter, the Stage Manager
    Paul Bigley
    John Webster
    Joe Roberts
    Wabash
    Mark Williams
    John Hemmings
    David Curtiz
    James Hemmings
    Gregor Truter
    Master Plum
    Robin Davies
    Edward Pope
    Timothy Kightley
    Augustine Philips
    Mark Saban
    George Bryan
    Bob Barrett
    James Armitage
    Roger Morlidge
    Sam Gosse
    Daniel Brocklebank
    Nurse
    Imelda Staunton

    Director
    John Madden

    Video

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