It doesn't always make sense but it's a witty comical romance

Rating: Null/10 (8 February 2002)

In London in 1593 the theatre industry is shaky for Will Shakespeare. He's lost his muse and is struggling to write his new comedy `Romeo and Ethel the pirates daughter'. Lady Viola Lesseps, frustrated by the theatre's lack of women dresses as a man and lands the part but also Shakespeare's heart. With the production in motion Shakespeare must battle forbidden love, debts and troublesome actors to produce his play.
A far cry from a traditional piece this sees a colourful blend of tradition, comedy, modern wit and a sheer abandonment of history in favour of entertainment. Even the cast shows the mix of theatre and populist culture, in it's inclusion of stage actors and a range of TV comedians from such as `the fast show'. The story is absurd, but happily Stoppard and everyone else knows it and lets us know it as well. For example Viola's poor `man' disguise is revealed by a boatman who says to Shakespeare that it wouldn't have fooled a child. (Although in fairness Shakespeare himself used this device on many occasions).
The story is full of romance and comedy is equal measures and is really well pulled off by all the cast. The problems of the laziness in the script are well handled - as Henslowe keeps telling us `it'll work out, it always does'. For example, Queen Victoria appears in full gear in a theatre - but had gone unnoticed for the whole performance.
The cast are superb and play the whole thing with a huge amount of fun that is befitting the material. Fiennes manages something that he rarely does - he is good! Paltrow is OK, but definitely doesn't convince in the scenes where she acts as Juliet in the play. Affleck is better but you can't help but feel that both American stars are only there to make it sellable in the US. Judi Dench is only onscreen for about 10 minutes all told and she isn't that good - she is very cold and distant, not really allowed to give her Queen any character. She won an Oscar but lets be honest - she was given that out of sympathy for her not getting it for her superb Queen Victoria in Mrs Brown. She didn't deserve it for this, but then I suppose most Americans aren't smart enough to work out that this was a different film! The rest of the cast are really good made up of quality stage names and comedians - Rush, Wilkinson, Callow, Anthony Sher mix effortlessly with Martin Clunes and Simon Day.
It's all a bit daft but it's done with such a sense of fun that it almost carries it off. Enjoyable tosh posing as theatre!