Delightful speculation on Shakespeare's life

Rating: 9/10 (18 January 2009)

John Madden has made the historical adaptation his own with Mrs. Brown, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Shakespeare in Love. He knows that it's detail that matters in period dramas. In this delightful speculation on Shakespeare's life fans of the bard will enjoy the comic references such as his constant practising of his signature and his rivalry with Christopher Marlowe. Joseph Fiennes is cast as a very cool, unbuttoned shirted Shakespeare and his romance with Gwyneth Paltrow's Viola is convincing and beautiful. In fact, the casting is one of the best things about this film. So many great British actors such as Colin Firth, Simon Callow, Judi Dench, Tom Wilkinson and Rupert Everett bring charm and grace to the picture. Comic turns from Martin Clunes, Simon Day and Mark Williams keep the film's tone comical but not distracting from the serious themes. The comic tone of the film is important because one must remember none of this actually happened. It's all a speculation based on certain facts. The encounter between Shakespeare and Marlowe is particularly enjoyable,similar to Chaucer appearing in A Knight's Tale. It comments on their, perhaps friendly, rivalry and overflows with nods to the audience. Although there are a few inaccuracies such as Shakespeare's muse being a woman (it is clear from his sonnets that most of them were written for a man. Maybe a film about Shakespeare's male romances would be more interesting considering that homosexuality was even more of a taboo back then) most of them are comic and done on purpose. This comical aspect stops people criticising the film for being overly misleading and fictitious. Shakespeare in Love is supposed to be an emotional yet lighthearted movie-going experience. Although there are purposeful comic inaccuracies the detail is another fascinating thing about this film. From the muddy streets and falling excrement to The Rose theatre, the authentication is astounding. The theatre really looks like the Globe in London, maybe it is. The costumes and other sets are also very realistic; you can just feel the tightness of the corsets and the softness and tangibility of the costumes. It shouldn't have won the Best Picture Oscar but its these beautifully detailed sets and costumes which secured it. Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard even make the script authentically Shakespearean with the gender confusion, exploration of love and the somewhat tragic aspects later in the film. Shakespeare in Love is an astoundingly beautiful and detailed work with such great acting talent and amusing script that it will keep audiences dazzled and delighted for years to come.