Why bother comparing it to any other film? It's great on its own right.

Rating: Null/10 (25 August 1999)

Lots of people don't like John Madden's "Shakespeare in Love," I think, mostly because it beat out Steven Spielberg's "Saving Private Ryan" for the Best Picture Oscar. But I'm not going to talk about that. Why? I'm not going to change anybody's mind, that much is obvious.
Well, if you want my opinion, "Shakespeare in Love" is a superb motion picture. It is, from every standpoint, a flawless piece of craftmanship. For starters, there is the acting, which is simply top-notch. This is clearly Gwyneth Paltrow's breakthrough performance, in which she truly delivers an Oscar-worthy performance. Her character is rich, vibrant, and wondrously alive. As is Joseph Fiennes' take on Shakespeare. Even though the Academy didn't see fit to honor him with even a nomination, that is not to say that his performance is bad by any means. I predict that Fiennes will become a leading man in his own right, thanks to this film, because it is now completely obvious that he is an actor of great depth and enthusiasm, which is something Hollywood greatly needs today. And who could forget Judi Dench? The lady is, I think, simply brilliant. Give her seven minutes of screen time and she turns out a virtual instruction manual on screen acting. Her take on Queen Elizabeth is witty, smart, daring, outrageous, and yet, deceptively simple, that is, all the things the Virgin Queen was herself. And, of course, there is also Ben Affleck and Geoffrey Rush, among others, whose work here sparkles with originality and vitality.
But lets get to the real core of what makes "Shakespeare in Love" a great film. There is John Madden's effortless direction, and, above all, the amazing script by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard. Seriously, I can imagine people being left in the intellectual dust when they come face to face with this film, because it is what so many films aren't. It manages to be blazingly intelligent, romantic, exciting, funny, serious, light, profound, historical, and farcical all at the same time, among other things. The dialogue crackles with energy and originality, and the writers are clearly playing a sort of mental tennis match with the audience. In the end, both sides win, and it is a glorious victory.
**** out of ****.