Shakespeare in Love (1998) Review || Oscar Madness #71

[@fr.williamnicholas955]

Good to see you back, and to see how this little forum of discussion and feedback is growing. Loved this review knowing that this particular Best Picture will be a hot topic for many years to come; probably for as long as there is an Academy Awards. Now, I KNOW I am going to get endless grief for this, but .... when Harrison Ford announced the winner for Best Picture this year I actually cheered! Let me explain why. Every now and then the Academy Awards has a year in which a certain movie is placed in the "of course it will win" category, leaving the other nominated films to be merely tokens, whose producers must spend the entire (very long) awards show, putting on the best face as they await their inevitable, universally predicted loss against the "of course it will win" movie. This happens only once in a while, but in the 1990s it was pervasive to say the least. It began (somewhat) in 1990 with "Dances With Wolves" but really picked up momentum when during the rehearsal for the 1992 ceremony Barbara Streisand, the presenter for Best Director, is said to have declared "look, we all know it's going to be Clint Eastwood!" There was a similar sentiment for the Best Picture Award -- "Of course 'Unforgiven' will win", and it did. The subsequent years were no different: "Of course Spielberg will win" (Schindler), "of course "Forrest Gump" will win"; "of course Mel Gibson will win" (Braveheart); "of course Cameron will win" (Titanic)....and things were on track for it to happen again with 'Saving Private Ryan" -- "Of course Spielberg will win," again, leaving the other nominees to simply grin and bear during an elongated ceremony as little more than Ladies in Waiting with no hope against the juggernaut that will take the prize. (Heck, even Robin Williams, in presenting the Best Supporting Actress award that night commented - "in case there is an emergency we have to follow academy protocol; Steven Spielberg first, the rest of you are on your own!") Now I am no fan of Harvey Weinstein (didn't know who he was then) and I agree with the sentiment you expressed about him in the review, but he was one that was not going to let his film be simply another token nomination; allowing "Ryan" to be another "of course it will win" film, while the other nominees passively grin and bear it. The other films were also of high quality (especially "Life is Beautiful", probably my favorite foreign film), and did not deserve the "of course Spielberg will win" treatment. So in that sense, I am glad Weinstein stood up to that trend which was all too pervasive in the 1990s Awards ceremonies. I just wish it had been someone else who stood up and said, "enough! I'm going to stand up for my movie!" (And, let's face it, if we are going to dis "Shakespeare" because of Weinstein, we may as well dis "Chinatown" because of Polanski.) Second, I don't think "Ryan" is that good of a movie. The first 24 minutes are awesome, truly pushing the boundaries; but the rest I found to be long, preachy, self-important and predictable (and I'm a Spielberg fan). "Shakespeare in Love" however, is to me at least ... how shall I put it ... a love letter to Shakespeare. But I will classify it: If you love Shakespeare, you will love "Shakespeare in Love"; and, let's face it, I LOVE Shakespeare. Seeing all his plays is on my bucket list, which I plan to return to when theater companies get over their Wokeness. I loved the references to his other plays throughout the movie, including within the dialogue. The all-star almost totally British cast (and Ben Afleck) are stellar. The humor is cultured and intelligent and educated, treating the audience with great respect, and positive presumptions about their cultural acuity right down to the very last word of the entire movie. I have returned to "Shakespeare in Love" numerous times and enjoy it every time. It is a true gem of a film, while one viewing (if that) is enough for "Ryan". I know I am in the minority of the minority, but, there it is. Can't wait for your next few reviews. Love this series! Hope you are staying safe.

[@toonhead5003]

I agree with you-if I'd had an Academy ballot to submit at the time, "Saving Private Ryan" would have been my choice for Best Picture. If I think about the two movies right this minute, I can remember scenes from "Saving Private Ryan," and I can remember how engrossed and moved I was when I saw it in the theater. But "Shakespeare in Love" was like a ball of cotton candy. It was fluffy and sweet, I enjoyed it at the time, but then it melted away, and I barely remember it! Anyway, I am happy to see that you and your reviews are back. I hope that you and your family are well!

[@thebluekraken7469]

Glad to see these reviews back! I started watching them because I myself am doing the Best Picture Challenge. Just started the 2000’s

[@dejaalston8672]

Shakespeare In Love (1998) is one of the most greatest romantic comedy movies of all time. The story, performance's, direction, musical score, and cinematography was outstanding and incredible. It also gives a insightful and articulate representation of love, romance, emotional resonance, and humanity. Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow did a phenomenal and spectacular job portraying William Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps as they both put tons of emotion and depth into their roles. It was decent. To this day I still watch it and I consider it a classic. It never gets old. 😍😎💯👍🏻

[@dnasty312]

Playing devil's advocate, could _The Thin Red Line_ have taken votes from _Saving Private Ryan?_ I mean I know the actual reason (name not need mention) but what do you think?

[@IaMD.B.]

I think Thon Red Line is a good movie, very different from Ryan. Could've taken some votes, but not a lot.

[@maldon3659]

There was a whole bunch of films in 1998 that should've won best picture over this one besides Saving Private Ryan, there's also Prince Of Egypt, The Truman Show, The Mask Of Zorro, The Thin Red Line, Ringu, God's and Monsters etc.

[@aijamberisabel]

Glad you are back with these reviews. I started this series because I am doing it myself but in random order which has gotten me much more into film as a whole and I have just watched Silence of the Lambs which is obviously an amazing film. This one though is bad. I did like the subplot with Christopher Marlowe because I am doing one of his plays Doctor Faustus for English Extension which was a nice reference and done well and I liked Shakespeare. I also appreciate the story of this film that it was the originator for Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet which I also studied in year 8 and 10. And I also appreciate the genuine to the time with all the societal critiques that come with it. The acting was also solid but nothing amazing. Nothing else about the film was good: the characters were unlikable for the most part, the Shakespearean language was overdone and I didn’t like it, the story was boring for the most part, much of the film was incredibly cheesy in the bad way, the sex scenes were cheesy and bad and it was also really overacted due to the nature of the roles which I found frustrating and annoying. It is my least favourite despite its admirable aspects because objectively it had no business winning Best Picture and only won because of the slimy actions of a slimy man because it is unconvincing, cheesy, frustrating and too flashy for its own good.

[@IaMD.B.]

I love your takes:) Let me know what you think about the other Best Picture winners that you see

[@solomonrichards599]

Are you timing up your Gladiator review with the release of Gladiator II?

[@IaMD.B.]

Not really, just uploading videos when they're ready

[@ThePreciseClimber]

An interesting thing about the American Beauty director is that he's directing four separate Beatles movies, one for each Beatle. All scheduled for 2027. Talk about ambitious. Hope they work out.

[@ΓΕΏΡΓΙΟΣ-ι8ν]

They could end up like horizon

[@solomonrichards599]

Unpopular opinion, but my winnner would have been American History X.

[@ΓΕΏΡΓΙΟΣ-ι8ν]

I have heard a lot of good things but what is about because im looking forward to see

[@porcupinecraig]

Not umpopular with me. It was a powerful film. Had enough flaws to not be on the level of Saving, but still, a film that stayed with me for a long time.

[@leehallam9365]

I have mixed views on Saving Private Ryan. I think its opening section, the landing is a remarkable piece of cinema, but the rest is a very standard wartime adventure. And quite a silly and unbelievable one at that. I enjoyed Shakespere in Love more at the time, though I can't say either really stand up as great films.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Honestly, Shakespeare in Love shouldn't even have been NOMINATED for Best Picture. All the other nominees were better. Not to mention, 1998 also gave us The Truman Show, The Prince of Egypt, The Big Lebowski, Kirikou and the Sorceress, Out of Sight, etc.

[@ΓΕΏΡΓΙΟΣ-ι8ν]

Truman show should had sweep that year

[@dnasty312]

​@@ΓΕΏΡΓΙΟΣ-ι8νonly nominated for Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Score 🤯

[@maldon3659]

This is sad for me because i was born in 1998 and Saving Private Ryan has my name in it

[@ShivasIrons22]

Hollywood always honors itself when given the chance. Shakespeare In Love with its focus on the artistic process was a stand in for movie making. They honored themselves instead of the veterans of WWII. Still pissed about this.

[@manuelakorner8661]

I never understood why this film got an Oscar.And who ls Joseph Fiennes?didn´t see him for years.His best performance Iguess was in a handmaids tale

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Also, hey, you're alive. :P

[@robertmarginean164]

I honestly wouldn't have given the Oscar to Saving Private Ryan if it was my call. American History X is probably the movie I would have chosen, but even something like Life is Beautiful would probably be higher up on my list. For me Saving Private Ryan suffers from what most Spielberg films suffer, at least for me: a damn near perfectly executed movie that's very predictable and feels generic in its story. Spielberg is probably the director with the most movies I would rate like 4/5. For my own taste, I want a movie that emotionally and/or intelectually challenges me for it to reach higher heights, and a movie where I feel like I'm always 15 minutes ahead of what's happening on screen isn't really that. With Golden Age cinema, that stuff is easily forgiven because it goes with the style of the times so, so well. Stuff that Capra made has such a cool feel these days for instance. A movie made 35 years ago, I find it harder not to take points away

[@porcupinecraig]

This was really the year when the oscars stopped being about art and was more about promotion, money, and agendas. You can thank Harvey Weinstein for this. He found you could bully the academy and gaming the system into geting oscar wins.

[@ΓΕΏΡΓΙΟΣ-ι8ν]

Shakespeare in love is widely rememberer as one of the weakest best picture winners of all time and yay i see why, The acting and screenplay are good but not very interesting film to remember, i still prefer cate blanchet over Gwenthy, but i dont know about the other movies. Elizabeth apart of the performance is worse film, the thin red line is a really good film but Terrence mallick is very divised director, and that leave life is beautiful and saving private ryan. Life is beautiful is one my favourite film since school but its reception is kinda similar to eeaao that is a comedy-drama about a parent and child being in dangerous situation that a lot of people didn't like the way that the film presents and Beningi's oscar win is consider very unfarvouble and saving private ryan is consider very overrated and as propaganda by some. I personally think the truman show was the best film of the year and i would prefer a sweep from director to main actor and also other film like prince of egypt, American history x, Rashmore, happiness and funny games. Just my personal opinion 🙂

[@YokozunaNumber1]

I saw "Private Ryan" three times in the cinema, and I can distinctly remember the experience as one of the most important of my movie-going life (see my comment in the "Schindler's List" review for another recollection of mine). It's why I became a lifelong student of WWII. When I saw "Shakespere In Love", I liked it, but there was no way in hell it was better than the former. In fact, I only saw it that one time, over 25 years ago. Will I sever see it again? Probably not. Will I ever see "Private Ryan"? Every year on D-Day.

[@dnasty312]

What'd you think of _The Thin Red Line?_