Paltrow glows in giddy period comedy

Rating: 9/10 (5 January 1999)

Knowing your Shakespeare is a help but not a must in this fictional episode from his life. It is chock full of quotes and devices from his plays/sonnets, as well as knowing references to his contemporaries. All performances are stellar, but most impressive is Gwyneth Paltrow's radiant depiction of Shakespeare's inspiration. Not only can you feel her emotions but she must have the best accent coach in New York! Judi Dench, Ben Affleck, Joseph Fiennes, and Geoffrey Rush throw themselves into their often amusing but never undimensional roles.
Still, the joy of this movie for me was its appreciation for the words and the rapturous experience of writing them. The swirling lovemaking/rehearsal scenes, especially that of the balcony scene, draw you anew into the workings of Shakespeare the Playwright Genius even as you listen to words you read/heard a million times in English class. Maybe this film will kindle a love of Shakespeare's work in skeptical moviegoers who only give it a chance because of the cast list.