Shakespeare in Love

This is the film that swept the board at the Academy Awards this year, with best actress, best supporting actress, best film. It also has won pretty much won every other film award worth winning too. How can anyone forget Gwyneth Paltrows many emotional acceptance speeches? Will Shakespeare (Fiennes) is depressed, his love life is pathetic, he’s practically broke and worst of all he’s got writer’s block. This is a bit of a problem as he should be finishing his newest play, ‘Romeo and Ethel the Pirate’s Daughter’, when in fact he has barely even written the title.

At an audition being held for a play he finds himself admiring a new actor, Thomas Kent, who mysteriously runs away quickly. It soon becomes apparent to Will that this promising actor is none other than Viola De Lesseps (Paltrow) an aristocratic lady betrothed to a Lord, with the Queen’s blessing.

As you expect from a romantic comedy, Will falls head over heals in love with Viola, which provides him the inspiration to write his play. However the strong mutual attraction progresses into a secret affair.

So what with the clandestine affair, and the law against women actors, which is broken when Thomas plays Romeo. No wonder he changes the play into tragedy...

This film has a star filled cast, from Hollywood favourites like, Paltrow, Affleck, and Fiennes to an astoundingly good support cast with the likes of Judy Dench, Geoffrey Rush, Ruppert Everett, Colin Firth and Martin Clunes.

Wendy Leave