I didn't think it was outstanding, but there's a lot to be said about Shakespeare

Rating: 8/10 (12 February 1999)

"Shakespeare in Love" didn't jump out and shout 'I'm a classic movie and you will worship me for years to come' but it DID quietly whisper a subtle elegance in execution. Witty, charming, bawdy, dramatic... words to describe even the bard's own work. Though some people found some of the allusions a little esoteric, I was laughing most of the way. Shakespeare's own themes were reflected in the one screenplay - love, drama, passion, mistaken identities and misplaced affection... along with some slapstick fun. The cast were wonderfully connective and the setting, accurate. It would be hard to imagine how "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter" would have taken off... but after all, aren't plays just all "words, words, words"?