I love this film!

Rating: 10/10 (4 November 2005)

I love this film. It is cleverly written to include characters and events that we've read about in boring theatre history books for eons, but are now presented as living, lusty, real people. It gives us comic, romantic, sad, and hopeful moments all at the same time. The performances by all of the actors are top notch. Geoffrey Rush, Ralph Fiennes, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Ben Affleck are superb. The supporting cast is equally excellent. Not to be missed is the performance by Judie Dench as Queen Elizabeth l. Her time on film is short, but her impact on the film is enormous. Bits and pieces of Shakespeare's work are evident throughout, and the tie ins to Christopher Marlowe are inspired! Costumes, makeup, scenery, lighting, and sound - all the technical and design elements are incredibly well researched and well executed. This film gives us a wonderful look at life in the Elizabethan period, not just the life of those involved in the theatre. From the ink stained hands of Shakespeare to the contents of countless toss pots hurled out of upper floor windows, we feel the grime and grit endured by Londoners during the 16th century.