Brilliant hypothetical historic story

Rating: 10/10 (2 May 2002)

This is a absolutely fantastic story about the hypothetical rise of the playwright Will Shakespeare in Elizabethan England.
It reminds me of a comedy sketch I saw on an Australian high school English education tv program.. Francis Bacon visits Shakespeare in his cottage and asks what's he doing. Shakespeare replies he's got this fantastic idea for a new show called The Shakespeare Follies. "It's got dancers, one ... no TWO swan boats, a full scale army, and the works." Bacon looks across to a table and sees a pile of manuscripts, and asks what they are. "Oh, they're some other plays I've been trying to put together. They don't seem to be working that well. One's about a Danish prince seeking revenge, another's about an old King having trouble with his daughters. Another is about a Scottish monarch having encounters with witches. Stuff like that. But this, THIS is going to be my magnum opus. I wonder if we can get some exotic animals on the stage, and two full armies, and ladies in pretty dresses on swings, and..." Part of me would like to think Shakespeare may have been a LITTLE like this.
Joseph Fiennes handles the character excellently, seeming to give him some warmth and personality to what must have been a daunting role. Gwyneth Paltrow gives a lot of stature, poise and personality to her role as the female lead (this is significant in this story). Commendations also to Ben Affleck, Rupert Everett, Martin Clunes, Tom Wilkinson, Judi Dench, Colin Firth, and especially Geoffrey Rush for providing an excellent comic foil.
And congratulations should definitely go to the writers for putting together a snappy storyline with the material. This is what creative talent can really do.
A top class piece of entertainment that thoroughly deserves all the plaudits it can get.