Shakespeare In Love
1998
The reign of Elizabeth I finds Will Shakespeare, a writer, broke and envious of a rival. Then, he meets with a woman who wants to be an actor and who disguises herself as a man... Read more
| Starring | Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Rupert Everett |
|---|---|
| Director | John Madden |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
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Shakespeare In Love
The reign of Elizabeth I finds Will Shakespeare, a writer, broke and envious of a rival. Then, he meets with a woman who wants to be an actor and who disguises herself as a man...
| Starring | Gwyneth Paltrow, Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Rupert Everett, Ben Affleck, Judi Dench, Daniel Brocklebank, Colin Firth, Simon Callow, Jim Carter, Martin Clunes, Anthony Sher, Imelda Staunton, Estelle Harris, Tom Wilkinson, Mark Williams |
|---|---|
| Director | John Madden |
| Studio | UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 59 mins |
| Certificate | |
| Collections | 100 Rom-Coms |
| Genres | Comedy, Romance |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Dubbed | German |
| Subtitles | DVD: Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish |
| Released | DVD: 02 Feb 2004 Production year: 1998 |
| Format | DVD |
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Critics' reviews (3)
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Taking the writing process behind Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet as its inspiration, John Madden's follow-up to Mrs Brown combines contemporary humour with a convincing 16th-century setting. Young Will (Joseph Fiennes) falls for the soon-to-be-married Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow) and casts her, disguised as a boy, as his Romeo. As their love affair unfolds, so does the play in a film that is passionate, intelligent and hysterically funny in turns. Fiennes and Paltrow are supported by an outstanding cast that includes Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson and Colin Firth, while Judi Dench delivers an Oscar-winning portrayal of Elizabeth I, making fine use of Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard's Oscar-winning script.
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If movies be the food of love, then there's an excess of it in this delightful romantic comedy, a clever romp that makes witty use of theatrical conventions and Shakespeare's own works; it is not only in love with love, but with the power of theatre.
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Most helpful member's review
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15 out of 17 people found this review helpful
Why?
Infuriating romantic comedy in which every moment is drowned in a sea of schmaltz, particularly those between the lovers; the script is fairly good, witty even, but is ruined by honey-coated direction and poor performances.
Why this arrogant, soppy sludge won so many Oscars remains beyond comprehension; it’s just a run-of-the-mill, saccharine rom-com. Don’t be drawn in by the word ‘Shakespeare’ in its title; it doesn’t make it any cleverer. -
Most recent members' review
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2 out of 3 people found this review helpful
Courtly etiquette gone awry
I would like to have been charitable about this film considering the high quality of the cast - but the film did not sit right with me the whole way through. I particularly disliked Gwyneth Paltrow in her role and felt she had been planted there just to appease the Hollywood moguls - she had little understanding of the role. Shame.
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News and features
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Dench donates Shakespeare In Love playhouse set to theatre group
- 15 Sep 2009
A theatre set handed to the British Shakespeare Company by actress Dame Judi Dench is to be turned into a real playhouse. Dench offered the oak-timbered set, modelled on London's 16th century Rose Theatre for 1998 movie Shakespeare In Love, to the troupe after she won an Oscar for portraying Queen Elizabeth I in the romantic comedy. The set, a gift to Shakespeare superfan Dench, is currently in storage, but is set to become part of a real theatre venue in the north of England. British... Read more
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Shakespeare In Love
The reign of Elizabeth I finds Will Shakespeare, a writer, broke and envious of a rival. Then, he meets with a woman who wants to be an actor and who disguises herself as a man......
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