Beautiful, swirling fun in Elizabethan England

Rating: 10/10 (2 January 1999)

This is a movie not to be taken entirely seriously, yet one that takes its Shakespeare very seriously indeed. In this movie as in Shakespeare's plays, words matter, performance matters and ultimately, theatre can give meaning to anyone's life, from the queen to the lowest urchin. Visually very appealing, it moves rapidly, swirling around mansions, the theatre and London, loaded with colour and style. The performances show good actors having a lot of fun with their skills. Not to be missed.