Shakespeare in Love (1999)

 Enjoying A Genius
Watch this video. Start your journey today. Find out what Shakespeare has brought to the world. Okay, so this movie might not please the academics and the purists, but so what. Stoppard has put enough stuff here to please the wiser sort, yeah. The part about the rat and John Webster being just one of 'em.
The rest of the film is pure joy. You'll be swept along by Paltrow's earnest performance and Fiennes' certain charm as the bard and Romeo. Geoffrey Rush is mucho supremo--this guy could act as Casanova Frankenstein, and still be wonderful.
May 15, 2008

 I can finally choose one "Desert Island (dvd) Disk"
Who but Stoppard would think - or dare - to make a movie about the creative impulse itself? Why and how we transmute our experiences and express them in art, is the most exciting theme of this magnificent movie. Along the way he spoofs show business, creativity vs. money, and romance. There's the pageantry of the period piece, the sometimes slapstick humor, the love story, the tragedy, the "the show must go on" triumph, and most of all a reverence and wonder for the impulse that makes us spin all our trials and triumphs into gold.

With Stoppard, as always, you get an almost frightening attention to detail - there's never a wasted second in his work. For instance, there are several close-ups of Will's hands, which are stained as dirty as a field-hand's with ink: word-smithing is hard and dirty work.

And the entire piece is crafted like one of Shakespeare's plays: there are many levels to appreciate, but he never forgets to "play to the pit" - to have hi- and low-end moments, something for everyone. May 12, 2008

 Fun Romantic Comedy.
This movie is a lot of fun. The actor's enjoyed themselves. Judy Dench steals her few scenes as Queen Elizabeth- adding an entire extra dimension to the comedy. April 16, 2008

 A Christian Perspective
** Disclaimer: The reason I have chosen to review this item from the perspective of my Christian faith is to provide other Christians some information or food for thought concerning this item. It is not my intention to convince non-Christians that they should convert, nor is it my intention to convince other Christians that they must agree with my opinions. What follows is simply my view of this item through the lens of my understanding of the Christian faith, so I trust that none will be offended by points-of-view I express with which they disagree. Peace.

"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell." (Matthew 5:27-29, ESV)

Though my search has not been exhaustive, I was unable to find a review of this movie that seriously addressed the nudity it contains from a reformed Christian point of view. In my opinion, the nudity within this movie clearly disqualifies it as an appropriate movie for Christians to watch (to be sure, I'd be pleased indeed if no one watched nudity of this type, but I don't suspect I have much chance of convincing too many people to abstain). The main problem concerns an extended scene in which the producer of this film, because he has deluded himself into believing that such base pornography is actually high-class art, felt it necessary to repeatedly give the audience up-front looks at Gwyneth Paltrow's breasts in the midst of a fairly heated sex scene. After about the third or forth repetition of this display my wife and I had simply had enough and we stopped watching.

It's too bad too. Aside from this one extended scene I felt the movie had a lot to offer. Nevertheless, it would be difficult, if not impossible, for Christians to reconcile watching this movie with their faith, and thus I suggest that they simply avoid the movie altogether. April 13, 2008

 Shakespeare In Love
Lots of reasons this was an Academy Award winner - humor, great acting, great fun March 15, 2008

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