comedy romp through Shakespeare's world

Rating: 7/10 (23 May 2004)

This daft comedy, written by Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman, focuses on the young Will Shakespeare as he tries to write a new play to please Queen Elizabeth. He is stuck with a title - Romeo and Ethel - but can't get this play off the ground. Still, all it takes is a real-life woman to give him inspiration.
Shakespeare is played by Joseph Fiennes, a weak actor who is probably the most lacklustre performance in this movie. The lady of his dreams, Viola, is played by Gwyneth Paltrow - very well - while other big names cluttering the cast include Ben Affleck, Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Judi Dench (who won her Oscar for an appearance totalling less than 10 minutes), Antony Sher, Jim Carter, Simon Callow, Martin Clunes and Tom Wilkinson, with Rupert Everett playing Kit Marlowe briefly and memorably.
Not a marvellous film, but an entertaining one. Viola of course eventually inspires the great play 'Twelfth Night' and, it is surmised, kick-starts the greatest creative period in Shakespeare's writing career. All rot of course, although the story weaved around in this movie is intriguing and in places very funny. Geoffrey Rush and Antony Sher in particular romp away with the comedy performances. It's an ok film if you're in the mood.