Watch unlimited films online for $6.99.
Try MUBI for FREE.
 
Film Still

Synopsis

Will Shakespeare is a known but struggling poet, playwright and actor who not only has sold his next play to both Philip Henslow and Richard Burbidge but now faces a far more difficult problem: he is bereft of ideas and has yet to begin writing. He is in search of his muse, the woman who will inspire him but all attempts fail him until he meets the beautiful Viola de Lesseps. She loves the theatre and would like nothing more than to take to the stage but is forbidden from doing so as only men can be actors. She is also a great admirer of Shakespeare’s works. Dressing as a man and going by the name of Thomas Kent, she auditions and is ideal for a part in his next play. Shakespeare soon sees through her disguise and they begin a love affair, one they know cannot end happily for them as he is already married and she has been promised to the dour Lord Wessex. –IMDb

Wall

Displaying 4 of 12 wall posts.
Picture of G. W. Elmer

G. W. Elmer

30Dec11

Fuck this movie.

Picture of bracko

bracko

3Dec11

I haven't seen this film for like 10 years. Maybe I wouldn't like it so much now but I will always respect it because I hate biopics and this one is not that. Here they turned Shakespeare into a character of something that looks just like something he would have written - silly and theatrical but witty.

Picture of Justin Oakey

Justin Oakey

24Nov11

The outer layer is quirky and funny, but deep down this movie is as romantic and fragile as the conception of the work it chronicles. Despite historical inaccuracies, it plays almost as theatre itself. Minimal locations, characters, elaborate costumes, and romantic banter. For an avid fan of Shakespeare's (or whoever it was) work, this was a very entertaining two hours.

Jimmy

28Oct11

kueren 4.3/5

Related Films

Fans

Displaying 5 of 240 fans.

Articles

Our roundup of essays and articles on this film.
W184

"Anonymous," the Bard and "Coriolanus"

By David Hudson on October 24, 2011

Besides reviews of the films by Roland Emmerich and Ralph Fiennes, this roundup gathers all things recently Shakespearean.

read article

Lists

Displaying 5 of 122 lists.

Reviews

Displaying 2 of 2

Untitled

By Jye Sherwel​l on November 5, 2009

Geoffrey Rush was nominated for his role and Gwyneth Paltrow won for hers yet the one performance that was one of the only really great things about this film didn’t even get a nomination!!! I’m speaking…  read review

Untitled

By Todd Kushige​machi on October 3, 2009

(Originally written January 25, 2008)

“Playwrights teach us nothing about love. They make it pretty, they make it comical, or they make it lust, but they cannot make it true.”

What stops…  read review

Forum

Displaying 0 discussion topics.