'Shakespeare in Love' is the only comedy to win the Academy Award for Best Picture since 1934's "It Happened One Night". Therefore, expectations were high. The film follows the life of William Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes), who struggles to write new material and searches for a woman who can inspire him through love. Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow) is betrothed to Lord Wessex (Colin Firth), yet she aspires to be an actress. However, women are not allowed to act at this point in history, so she disguises herself and auditions for a role. Shakespeare sees right through the disguise, and soon after falls madly in love with her, inspiring him to write Romeo and Ethel, the Pirates Daughter. However, he later changes it to the better-known 'Romeo & Juliet'. The script for the film is exceptionally written, with a wonderful twist on many of Shakespeare's influences for his most famous works. However, the film is carried mostly by an outstanding cast, led by Paltrow, who manages to create a character worthy of the affection of civilization's greatest poet and playwright, earning her the Oscar for Best Actress. Other stars include Ben Affleck as a snob of an actor, Imelda Staunton (of Harry Potter fame) as Viola's nurse, Geoffrey Rush as a theater owner (for which he received an Oscar nomination for his supporting role), and Dame Judi Dench as Queen Elizabeth I, earning her the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. With the sheer brilliance of the film combined with a remarkable cast, the film easily deserved the recognition it received, and no film since has been able to utilize Paltrow's talents as an actress. 8 out of 10 stars.
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