Less than impressed...

Rating: Null/10 (6 March 1999)

First, let me say that I am a Shakespeare fan, having both acted and viewed many performances through the years. As an actor, I was thrilled at the very idea of "Shakespeare in Love." Let me also add that I am a great fan of Gwyneth Paltrow. As the 230th commentator on "S in L", let me just say I was disappointed. I have to blame, in order, the writers and the director. To have assembled such a fine cast of actors and then to race them through such a tired, half-baked scenario-well, let's just say it was a letdown. First, you writers, shame be upon you for letting the two leads get together so early in the story. Whatever happened to the absolute ecstasy of sexual tension? You had a perfect premise (woman masquerading as man) and you blew it. Where would the plot of Twelfth Night have been if Viola had slept with Orlando within the first half hour of washing ashore? Besides, I suspect if anyone could pull off sexual tension and frustration, it would be that tasty boy Joe Fiennes. Speaking of sex, I didn't *get* that Paltrow was so hot for the lad she would shuck all her highborn ways without even a glance backward. You say you wanted to make it more modern? Well then, shame on you again for choosing to embrace in our modern culture the trait of mindless and instant gratification.
Now the direction... These actors positively *raced* through this script! They would have been much better served to be clothed in track suits than doublets. What was the all fired hurry? I got a sense that Madden was sitting just out of frame with stopwatch in hand and whistle clenched between teeth, chanting "The holes, the holes, you could drive a lorry through them!." No, this entire project was well conceived and ill carried out, in my humble opinion.