Syrupy Sweet

Rating: 7/10 (6 April 1999)

To be 1998's Film of the Year as judged by the Academy, the movie had to have been good? Yes, this was an above average film. The costumery was magnificent. Gwyneth Paltrow gave a convincing performance as Viola. Judi Dench also put on an excellent performance as the Queen. The Queen was cruel, perceptive, but highly likeable in the end.
My first criticism of the movie was the idea of weaving Viola and Shakespeare's star-crossed romance with the well-known tragedy of Romeo & Juliet. Perhaps it could have worked with a better script, but in the end the concept did not come off well because there was a clear distinction between the play and their real-life situation. The storyline felt forced-- and false. The plot would have been more interesting as simply a romance between Shakespeare, an aspiring playwright, and Viola, an aristocrat.
My second criticism of the movie was Ben Affleck's appearance. Whereas Gywneth and Fiennes became immersed in their characters, Ben Affleck was not able to cross the line. This was Ben Affleck as Ben Affleck. His character also had no noteworthy actions in the play that I could discern. In summary, his appearance was an irritant.
An interesting film. I rank it a 7 out of 10.