It's not like it was in the old days...

Rating: 7/10 (15 July 1999)

Shakespeare in love is a wonderful film, full of everything - humour, romance, history, moments that make you want to cry, or moments that just make you think - and there are some wonderful little touches. Bits that you wouldn't notice the first time round. Will Shakespeare is played wonderfully by Joseph Fiennes, so well I wonder why I haven't stumbled on him before. Gwynneth Paltrow makes a wonderful "Juliet"-type character - innocent and sweet and young and well, drop-dead gorgeous. Judi Dench is very overpaid for her minute or so that she plays as the queen, and play it well she does. I absoloutley adore Ben Affleck's performance as the big-headed Ned Alleyn - he has some wonderful lines: Will: Thank you sir, thou art a gentleman. Ned: And you sir, are a s**t-house. I can only assume that the casting director is a fan of the fast show because three of 'em are there, one as the prologue, and two as taxi-boat drivers, and very good they are indeed. Stuff I loved: Will's little ritual of spinning round before he sat down to write; Will's wonderful ink-stained knuckles; the taxi-boat driver bit "I'm a bit of a playwright meself"; the wonderful joke about John Webster; when that guy says "well that'll have 'em rolling in the aisles" and many many more besides. All in all, an excellent film - certainly one of my top ten (probably only 'cause I'm an actor and I love Shakespeare. Oh, and sex scenes). I'd recommend it to everyone even though they might not like most of it, there'd be bits that everyone'd enjoy and for most people, all of it! 9 out of 10. 93% Good quality stuff. Get my point?