What's love got to do with it

Rating: Null/10 (5 December 2004)

The premise of this film comes from a sliver of historical information, Billy Shakespeare, who wrote what is considered by many to be the definitive love story, supposedly had a secret love while he lived in London. Who that person is, we don't know, and did she inspire him to write Romeo & Juliet.
The result is not one of my favourite movies, however it seems to be well received by people who either don't know any Shakespeare or who don't like his works.
It's success comes from the fact that most of the characters are played very straight, with the exeptions of Lord Wessex and the theatre owner (played by Geoffrey Rush).
Here are the things I like about this movie. Beautifully shot Well acted Interesting concept Some very funny lines and some serious moments Lots of in jokes that only people who know Shakespeare would get (too many Hollywood movies dumb down jokes in case the audience wouldn't get it) Historically accurate in set design and little details
Things I didn't like Shakespearean plays acted from the 19th century tradition rather than the mass appeal approach needed to make money Too much Shakespeare Lots of transformations in characters that are left unexplained (the inverstor who goes from being the Hollywood producer type to the awed fan with no explanation or growth period) Lack of historical accuracy in the characters
So the bottom line is, if you don't like Shakespeare or if you don't know who he is, then you will love this movie. If you do like Shakespeare then you will get a few laughs from watching this, so it is not a total loss.