Enjoy this film, even the villain!

Rating: Null/10 (2 January 1999)

After scanning all the other reviews on this site, I'm surprised by two things:
First, this film obviously should be enjoyed as a broad comedy/love story. Some of you people need to lighten up!
Second, as a fan of the excellent actor, Colin Firth, I'm surprised no one has mentioned here what a wonderful "bad guy" this very romantic leading man made (He was Darcy in the best "Pride and Prejudice" ever made, the 1995 A & E mini-series.) As interpreted by Firth, even Wessex deserves a measure of sympathy. He is a financially challenged nobleman with the ambition to regain his fortune in the New World, a very appropriate endeavor in Elizabethan society. Of course, that means marrying money, i.e., the rich heiress. Next viewing, watch Firth's eyes for all the subtle little expressions that reveal his inner struggles. This is not a buffoon or one dimensional villain. One may not approve of Wessex, but Colin Firth gets an A+ for his performance.
To find a terrific joke on us audience members, check casting of Queen Elizabeth's ladies-in-waiting. Bridget McConnel and Georgie Glen who flanked Elizabeth in almost every scene were the same two women who attended Judi Dench's Victoria in "Mrs. Brown." If that doesn't prove how we are supposed to take this delightful comedy, then nothing will.