Beautiful and engaging.

Rating: 7/10 (16 July 2005)

Shakespeare in Love is a historical film for people who don't like historical films. It's free of the weight this kind of movies usually carry, and full of brisk, engaging comedy as well as painstaking tragedy. The pace never once slows down. In short, it has some of the best qualities of Shakespeare's plays.
Gwyneth Paltrow shows surprising range, Joseph Fiennes is more than eye-candy, and the rest of the all-star cast, especially the great Judi Dench, handle the complicated plot with admirable ease. It looks like the film was fun to shoot, and that makes the viewer feel good as well.
And here comes the spoiler: the ending, despite being unhappy, is one of the most stylish finales Hollywood has seen in the past few years. The approach on Viola and Will's sadness is incredibly light-hearted and smooth. You will leave the movie house with a smile on your face, not weeping for the main couple's cruel destiny.
However, Shakespeare in Love is not a masterpiece (hence seven stars only). What it lacks is the director's "signature style", the unique touch of an auteur. Could it be that John Madden simply doesn't have one? His craftsmanship is admirable, but he's no Cukor.