11 January
So last night Nik and I saw Shakespeare in Love.
You know how after seeing a truly wonderful movie you feel as though you are floating? I was several feet off the ground last night. Today, too. This is the best film I have seen since Life is Beautiful.
Everything about it was perfect. The acting was sublime across the board (who could have imagined that in a cast of standouts that Ben Affleck would shine so?), and sublime looking as well (whomever that idiot was who said that Joseph Fiennes is Ralph's Ugly Brother should be horsewhipped!) the acting in the play within the play was glorious (Gwyneth Paltrow should certainly do some Shakespeare in future as she speaks verse a treat), and it certainly looked beautiful (a special award should go to Gwyneth's wig, which had a life of its own) but the script, ah the script...
Tom Stoppard is a fucking genius. I know it was written by Marc Norman too, and his name is first, but the piece is extremely Stoppardian in its feel.
It's just so funny and romantic and smart and complicated. I think it's funnier if you're a Shakespeare buff, but it's wonderful no matter what. And a great big pie in the eye to those people who think Shakespeare is boring! It's only boring when it is badly taught in schools.
It's also a big valentine to the Theatre. Everyone who comes in contact with the theatre falls in love with it, and I really think that twenty years from now we'll be reading interviews with actors and actresses saying "I decided that I wanted to be in the theatre after seeing Shakespeare in Love."
What I want to know is who is John Webster?
I feel like I should know, since they made a point to identify the boy with the mice by his full name, which means that he was somebody, and I can't think who! It's driving me crazy!
I did get one really subtle bit--in the fight scene when Richard Burbage was clonked on the head with the skull, I laughed heartily because Richard Burbage was in fact the first actor to play Hamlet!
I know my Shakespeare trivia!
Hey, if you're looking for good individual entries, you cannot do better than go to Al's Linkzine! It's great! Not the least of which because I'm linked first.
Today's horoscope:
Issues of truth, justice, fair play, ethics or equality emerge. Practice open-mindedness and tolerance, but do stand up for what you value.
One year ago today:
"O, Diane Patterson doesn't want to meet ME!"
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Last Updated Mon 11 January 09:37:09 1999