... After all, when you're feeling a little blue and lonely, what else can pick up your spirits than a tale of forbidden love between a married man desperately seeking inspiration and a betrothed woman looking for a life on the stage?
Cue, "Shakespeare In Love", the 1998 romcom from director ... Read review
One of the most endearing and intelligent romantic comedies of the 1990s, the ... more
Oscar-winningShakespeare in Loveis filled with such good will, sunny romance, snappy one-liners and devilish cleverness that it's absolutely irresistible. With tongue placed ...
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SHAKESPEARE IN LOVE is a romantic comedy set in the 1590''s, telling the witty, sexy story ... more
behind the creation of the greatest love story of them all - 'Romeo and Juliet'. Young Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is the up and coming playwright of the t...
One of the most endearing and intelligent romantic comedies of the 1990s, the ... more
Oscar-winningShakespeare in Loveis filled with such good will, sunny romance, snappy one-liners and devilish cleverness that it's absolutely irresistible. With tongue placed ...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Triumphant winner of 7 Academy Awards - including Best Picture - this witty sexy smash ... more
features Oscar-winning Best Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and an amazing cast that includes Academy Award winners Judi Dench Geoffrey Rush and Ben Affleck! When Will S...
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Pride and Prejudice (Dir. Joe Wright 2005): The five Bennet sisters - Elizabeth or ... more
Lizzie (Keira Knightley) Jane (Rosamund Pike) Lydia (Jena Malone) Mary (Talulah Riley) and Kitty (Carey Mulligan) - have been raised well aware of their mother's (Brenda Blethyn) fixation on finding them husbands and securing set futures. The spirited and intelligent Elizabeth however strives to live her life with a broader perspective as encouraged by her doting father (Donald Sutherland). When wealthy bachelor Mr. Bingley takes up residence in a nearby mansion the Bennets are abuzz. Amongst the man's sophisticated circle of London friends and the influx of young military officers surely there will be no shortage of suitors for the Bennet sisters. Eldest daughter Jane serene and beautiful seems poised to win Mr. Bingley's heart. For her part Lizzie meets with the handsome and it would seem snobbish Mr. Darcy (Matthew Macfadyen) and the battle of the sexes is joined. Their encounters are frequent and spirited yet far from encouraging. Lizzie finds herself even less inclined to accept a marriage proposal from a distant cousin Mr. Collins (Tom Hollander) and supported by her father stuns her mother and Mr. Collins by declining. When the previously good-natured Mr. Bingley abruptly departs for London leaving a devastated Jane Lizzie holds Mr. Darcy culpable for contributing to the heartbreak. But a crisis involving youngest sister Lydia soon opens Lizzie's eyes to the true nature of her relationship with Mr. Darcy... Shakespeare In Love (Dir. John Madden 1998): Triumphant winner of 7 Academy Awards - including Best Picture - this witty sexy smash features Oscar-winning Best Actress Gwyneth Paltrow and an amazing cast that includes Academy Award winners Judi Dench Geoffrey Rush and Ben Affleck! When Will Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) needs passionate inspiration to break a bad case of writer's block a secret romance with the beautiful Lady Viola (Paltrow) starts the words flowing like never before! There are just two things he'll have to learn about his new love: not only is she promised to marry someone else she's successfully impersonating a man in order to play the lead in Will's latest production! A truly can't-miss motion picture event with outstanding critical acclaim to match its impressive collection of major awards - everyone will love this funny behind-the-scenes look at the writing of the greatest love story ever told!
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Shakespeare In Love is a romantic comedy telling the witty, sexy story behind the creation ... more
of the greatest love story of them all - Romeo and Juliet. Young William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) is the up and coming playwright of the time but has been disastrously struck by the bane of writers block. His comedy Romeo and Ethel the Pirates Daughter is not going anywhere and the playhouse is under threat of closure. What Will needs is a muse - and she appears in the form of the beautiful (and betrothed) Lady Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow).The path of true love doesnt run smooth for Will, however - Viola is engaged to be married to the insufferable Lord Wessex (Colin Firth) at the command of Queen Elizabeth (Judi Dench). The joys and tragedy of his own life find their way onto the page in a moving, witty and spellbinding tale. Shakespeare In Love is a brilliantly funny, warm and fast moving romance from acclaimed director John Madden (Mrs Brown).
Comedy - Director: Richard Boden, Mandie Fletcher, Martin Shardlow - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Hugh Laurie, Miranda Richardson, Stephen Fry, Brian Blessed, Tim McInnerny, Tony Robinson, Rowan Atkinson
Comedy - Director: Gareth Carrivick - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Kathryn Drysdale, Sheridan Smith, Natalie Casey, Will Mellor, Ralf Little
Comedy - Original Language: English - Classification: 12 years and over - Starring: Tessa Peake-Jones, Buster Merryfield, David Jason, Nicholas Lyndhurst
Advantages: Excellent Cast, Amusing Disadvantages: Slightly Weak Plot, Slow To Get Going
...that explores the notion that Shakespeare wasn't that great a writer and was, in fact, simply a lusty man ever in search of a muse - or, in other words, a woman to lay that might, if he's lucky, give him some inspiration for a new play. I kind of like his style, actually.
Trying to write "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter," Shakespeare - played by Joseph Fiennes - discovers he's suffering from writer's block, a phenomenon ... ...appease both her desire for Shakespeare and the stage itself, Viola takes to the boards as a young boy and plays the part of Romeo in Will's new play.
Shakespeare himself discovers quickly that this new muse has, indeed, unlocked his writer's block and he starts to write his new play, helped by the input of his financially depressed theatre owner, Hugh Fennyman (played by Tom Wilkinson) and his lead actor, Ned Alleyn, who ultimately ... more
When you're caught up in your own sticky mess of a love life, there's nothing better than sitting down and watching somebody else screw up their own. After all, when you're feeling a little blue and lonely, what else can pick up your spirits than a tale of forbidden love between a married man desperately seeking inspiration and a betrothed woman looking for a life on the stage?
Cue, "Shakespeare In Love", the 1998 romcom from director John Madden that explores the notion that Shakespeare wasn't that great a writer and was, in fact, simply a lusty man ever in search of a muse - or, in other words, a woman to lay that might, if he's lucky, give him some inspiration for a new play. I kind of like his style, actually.
Trying to write "Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter," Shakespeare - played by Joseph Fiennes - discovers he's suffering from writer's block, a phenomenon known to many of us when trying to think of something to put down in verse. That is until he discovers Viola De Lesseps - the beautiful Gwyneth Paltrow - and falls deeply in love. Unfortunately for the infatuated pair, Viola discovers she's affianced to the rather insufferable Lord Wessex (Colin Firth) thanks to a deal cut between Wessex and De Lesseps' father and, as the marriage is approved by the Queen herself, it makes it rather difficult for Viola to say no.
Still, she's in love with Will Shakespeare, the egomaniacal playwright with an unquenchable thirst for bedroom frivolities and a propensity to forget to mention to the women in his life that he's already married to a woman in Stratford. Desperate to appease both her desire for Shakespeare and the stage itself, Viola takes to the boards as a young boy and plays the part of Romeo in Will's new play.
Shakespeare himself discovers quickly that this new muse has, indeed, unlocked his writer's block and he starts to write his new play, helped by the input of his financially depressed theatre owner, Hugh Fennyman (played by Tom Wilkinson) and his lead actor, Ned Alleyn, who ultimately suggests a new title for the play as Will steadily edits it to mimic the story of his love affair with Viola. Ultimately, "Romeo and Juliet" is born and so is a love struggle between the Lord Wessex, Will Shakespeare masquerading as his rival - Christopher Marlowe - in order to avoid detection in Wessex's house, and Viola De Lesseps, wife-to-be to Wessex, lover to Shakespeare and the alter ego of Thomas Kent, the young man she's pretending to be in order to get on stage.
"Shakespeare In Love" is no bard's tragedy. Instead, it's a rather polite, somewhat amusing and easily watched film that won't quite have you rolling around with split sides but equally won't leave you yawning. It takes a little while to get going but, once the script is up to pace, it's quite enjoyable in a not-quite-chick-flick kind of way.
It has the potential to be very weak, but is lifted by a strong cast of star-studded actors and actresses, including Ben Affleck, Judi Dench (playing the Queen), Rupert Everett, Martin Clunes and Simon Callow on top of those already mentioned. These days, you can find the DVD in bargain bucket spots in your local Woolworths although the list price is still around £13.99 on sites such as Amazon. There are some deleted scenes, a 'making of…' documentary and cast, crew and director's commentaries, but other than that the DVD is relatively uncluttered with loads of extras. Annoyingly, though, it seems that this DVD suffers from Widescreenitis. I have yet to understand why film manufacturers insist these days in putting films on DVD into yet further cinematic widescreen which produces the black lines top and bottom of your screen, when invariably, in today's modern TV-viewing society, many of us already have widescreen televisions. It's just widening the already widened screen, and that sort of annoys me.
If you're looking for light-hearted entertainment and haven't seen this movie yet, then it's worth picking up. If you're looking for something in-depth about William Shakespeare's life and his great plays, this is not for you.
But you might still enjoy it.
Sadly, it did not resolve my own love-life issues but simply pointed out that others are as capable of screwing up as I am.
Advantages: Beautiful period piece with a great cast and there are sword fights guys. Disadvantages: It's a girly, romantic film and nothing blows up. Sorry guys.
...THE PREMISE Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) has written a couple of plays, but is no match for the brilliance of the playwright of the day, Christopher Marlowe (Rupert Everett) and still a player for hire who dreams of greater things. Something of a womaniser, Shakespeare has writer's block when it comes to his latest work, "Romeo and Ethel the Pirate's Daughter" because he cannot find his muse. Meanwhile the beautiful and wealthy Viola De Lesseps (Gwyneth ... ...the film industry has for Shakespeare and "Romeo and Juliet" in general. It's actually quite a lovely and interesting documentary. Looking back "Shakespeare In Love" was a product of a time when Hollywood was enamoured of huge, period romances of love in the face of adversity. "Titanic" had been the big winner at the Oscars the year before and "Shakespeare In Love" was playing to the same audience. However, this film stands the test of time better ...
Mountainlilly 21.07.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Shakespeare In Love (DVD)
Advantages: Great for laughs Disadvantages: Not many
...a combination of motifs from Shakespeare plays loosely knitted together around the story of how the bard (Joseph Fiennes) comes to write Romeo and Juliet, while he himself falls in love. Viola, his lover, (played by Gwyneth Paltrow) is promised in marriage to another man, Essex (played by Colin Firth); at the same time she dresses as a boy to take part in the play that Will is writing after falling for him when she sees him at court. He begins it ... ...authors (especially the Marlowe - Shakespeare motif, which will delight and infuriate some scholars!) and between impresarios (wonderfully played by Geoffrey Rush and Martin Clunes), and the inevitable impossibility of Will's love for Viola.
All the characters have a comic edge to them, whether it is the nurse's ridiculous attempts to disguise Will and Viola's noisy intimacy, or the young version of the playwright John Webster who we see in typically ...
richardashdowne 14.01.2001 (11.05.2001)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Shakespeare In Love (DVD)
Advantages: Great performances and thematic elements Disadvantages: None
...movie. I simply adore William Shakespeare and it really pains me to see awful amateur movies being made of his life and works- but when I finally watched this film, I was really stunned and bowled over by the amazing directional techniques and vivid imagination in Shakespeare in Love. Joseph Fiennes is amazing as Shakespeare and I believe that he got the looks and talent to represent the legendary poet on screen. The cast was refreshing and at ease ... ...the audience. Most of all, Shakespeare in love presents a delightful blend of the actual works of William Shakespeare, a couple of real-life assumption about the author and a lot of wonderfully crafted fictional elements. The plot is about William Shakespeare who is having a writer's block at a very crucial moment: If he does not come up with an original idea soon, the company will have no choice but to close down. He manages to come up with a title- ...
diamond_sparkles 04.09.2009
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Shakespeare In Love (DVD)
Advantages: many skilled and experienced british actors Disadvantages: not for the more serious shakespeare readers
...Juliet was written. But as Shakespeare himself said, 'the course of true love never did run smooth' and as social situation is a relatively small problem, which two lovers will eventually overcome, enter Lord Wessex, (Colin Firth) the suitor chosen by Viola's parents. Can the insufferable Lord WEssex be beaten, or will Viola have to fulfill her daughter's duty?
Acting
Yet again Paltrow plays an english girl, and once again is incredibly convincing. ... ...but as a reader of Shakespeare myself, I really could see no harm in it.
This light romantic comedy was interesting and fun to the end, and had me laughing as they made puns involving famous phrases.
Not for all, I suppose, but especially good fro us girls, who enjoy a eye full of british candy! ...
charlie88 20.04.2003
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Shakespeare In Love (DVD)
...the backlash to begin once Shakespeare In Love had netted this year’s big one. The fact remains, though, that this year’s Academy Awards was never going to be a clean sweep for one movie; and when two were so evenly matched through the previous gaggle of gong-giving, dividing the trophies up seems pretty fair. Away from the glare of mantelpiece adornments, Shakespeare In Love delivers unfailingly sparkling entertainment, from its affectionate tendency ...
MarcusPerkins 29.09.2000
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Shakespeare In Love (DVD)
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Advantages: you get two great movies Disadvantages: In My books none
ShakespeareInLove/ Pride and Prejudice Two disc (DVD)
Having read and fallen inlove with both ShakespeareInLove and Pride and Prejudice i was afraid to buy this DVD. Have you ever found that after enjoying reading a book you found that the Film just didn?t live up to the book? i have, so i didn?t want to be disappointed after watching the Film of both these books so i didn?t buy the DVD. My partner knew how much i loved the book so last Christmas on our five year anniversary he had bought me a collection of stuff i liked to show me that five years in he still loved me, within this collection i found both these movies and that evening we both sat through them and i was not disappointed. Both films lived up to my expectations, it was romantic, charming with a hint of comedy the perfect recipe for any of my movies.
What is Pride ...
Advantages: Beautiful, romantic, wonderful cast and amazing costumes! Disadvantages: Make sure you have the kleenex ready!
ShakespeareinLove
(1998)
A film directed by John Madden.
Starring:
Joseph Fiennes as Will Shakespeare
Gwyneth Paltrow as Viola De Lesseps
Colin Firth as Lord Wessex
Ben Affleck as Ned Alleyn
ShakespeareinLove is a true genius of a film - it takes someone we know a great deal about in the sense of his writing, and turns a whole spectacular tale around him about his muse, his inspiration, his reasons for writing. These, of course, being things we shall never know, as we will never have the chance to ask Mr William Shakespeare why exactly he wrote Romeo and Juliet, or the Taming of The Shrew. Set in 16th century London, full of rats and smelly people and the glorious colours of naturally dyed fabrics, this is film is surely a feast for the senses.
The story follows Young Will, or Master Shakespeare as we come to ...
Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, German, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish, Swedish
Technical information
Special Features
Making Of Documentary, Directors Commentary, Cast And Crew Commentary, Deleted Scenes, Theatrical Trailer
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital Surround
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 5.1 English Dolby Digital Surround German
Award information
OSCAR
Best Actress In A Leading Role 1998 (Gwyneth Paltrow)
OSCAR
Best Actress In A Supporting Role 1998 (Judi Dench)
OSCAR
Best Screenplay Written Directly For The Screen 1999 (Tom Stoppard, Marc Norman)
DVD Description
The reign of Elizabeth I finds Will Shakespeare, a writer, broke and envious of a rival. Then, he meets with a woman who wants to be an actor and who disguises herself as a man...
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