Filling in the Blanks; Life of Shakespeare

Rating: 8/10 (3 December 2018)

In London of 1593 an ambitious and talented young poet, Will, needs inspiration, characters, plot and muse for the romance he is writing. He finds everything and more in the shape of Viola, a mysterious and beautiful noblewoman in search of adventure, poetry and love. Viola, in turn, finds what she seeks in Will. When a jealous rival for Viola's affections, writers block, mistaken identities, a theater owner with a large debt to pay, and the Queen of England threaten to thwart the two lovers, Will begins to make up the story - what we now know as Romeo and Juliet - as things go along. Fact and fiction then combine, and it is hard to tell one from the other in this "misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms, feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health, and still-waking sleep." (Romeo and Juliet)
Shakespeare in Love ingeniously and indelicately adds touches of humanity, humor, intrigue and, of course, romance to the often stale and very limited facts that are known about Shakespeare's life and the history of Romeo and Juliet. In making Shakespeare fresh and interesting to a wider audience, and reading between the lines, the film won seven Academy Awards including best picture, actress, supporting actress, writing, music, art/set decoration and costume design. I loved all the nods to Shakespeare's actual work and true history. Gwyneth Paltrow, vivacious and charming, fits the character of Viola perfectly. Judi Dench plays the role of the sharp, caustic and quick-witted Queen Elizabeth equally well. Other A list actors include Joseph Fiennes, Geoffrey Rush, Tom Wilkinson, Colin Firth, Ben Affleck and Rupert Everett. It baffles the mind that this achieved an "R" rating!