Not as good as I had heard

Rating: Null/10 (3 January 1999)

I guess I had been prepared to adore this movie from the reviews, but I didn't. Make no mistake, it's a real treat for the eyes with sumptuous costumes and art direction. The cast is uniformly terrific--and extra kudos to Ben Affleck, who plays a self-important 16th c. "matinee idol" complete with flawless English accent. That Affleck is able to more than hold his own with present and future knights and dames (Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench, Anthony Sher) is admirable. The lovers played by the pretty but petulant Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow are attractive and convincing enough, and their love story is surprisingly moving. I just felt that the jokes were often a little broad for the delicate little story of love and inspiration, especially a hokey scene with Fiennes and his "therapist" played by Sher. Still, it's an enjoyable romp with the most gorgeously written dialogue of the year--a nice change from the abyssmal treacle of You've Got Mail.