A dissenting opinion

Rating: Null/10 (23 January 1999)

The reviewers are in agreement for once: a perfect film. And this time they are wrong. I went to see this movie hoping that they were right. It's really all borrowed from the Bard himself, and, if not him, other, better movies. The witty Shakespearean references excited so many reviewers because they only need a high-school knowledge of Shakespeare to recognize them! Two good things about the film are the supporting cast and the costumes. Otherwise, I agree with John Webster, who said of the play, "I liked it when she stabbed herself." The same of the movie. It meant for a moment we wouldn't have to watch pointless love scenes and another plot device borrowed from Shakespeare. Shakespeare may have borrowed from other sources in his plays, but at least his work always had a hint of genius and originality in it.