Astonishingly excellent -- with every viewing

Rating: 10/10 (21 April 2004)

I'd have a difficult task finding the smallest of nits to pick with a movie I believe old Will would himself enjoy and which I regard as a personal favorite of the highest rank. It deserves every award received, and then some. John Madden's direction shines through in the nuanced performances not only of a credited cast but of the extras we often ignore like so much secondhand furniture. His direction shines through in a film so densely packed with short takes and transitions, only the finest of editing skills realized his vision. The script is a work of art - a contemporaneous rendition of the fulsome spirit of Shakespeare, with wit and a vast array of literate allusions to please all but the stodgiest of academics. This is a motion picture to be savored and enjoyed many times, each time mining new nuggets of entertainment gold.