Shakespeare's life turned into a bedroom farce...good but not great...

Rating: 6/10 (13 September 2006)

I never could understand all the fuss and fury over this period comedy of manners that has GWYNETH PALTROW parading herself as a boy because women were not allowed to partake in theater centuries ago when William Shakespeare (Joseph FIENNES) was writing his passionate plays.
First of all, anyone who couldn't tell that Paltrow was--well, Paltrow in boy's clothing--should have had his eyes examined. So much for believability. Then we have the miscast Joseph FIENNES looking like a Gypsy with an earring and a Mafia-like manner who wandered out of a tough neighborhood in Brooklyn to play the famous Bard. He's not a bad actor at all, just dreadfully miscast. To believe him as the writer of these passion plays is hard to swallow.
Then we have BEN AFFLECK who appears and disappears from the plot for long periods of time--so long that we forget he's even in the movie. And COLIN FIRTH, wasted in a colorless role. And for some strange reason, JUDI DENCH appears for eight minutes as Queen Elizabeth I and gets an Oscar for Best Supporting Role.
Not at all helpful for me to review the film is the fact that I put off seeing it shortly after watching GWYNETH PALTROW's tearful, hysterical Oscar acceptance speech. I was so turned off by her out of control moments that I swore not to watch the film. Well, I relented finally, but was severely disappointed by the viewing experience.
Sure, it's an enjoyable costumed romp with lots of period flavor in settings and costumes and some nice color cinematography. But for this to win the award for Best Film over SAVING PRIVATE RYAN is a disgrace I think the Academy will have a long time living down.