For those who are a little put off by the title or the categorising of the
film, a Romantic Comedy ( reinforced, in the UK at least, by very
misleading television trailers ); don't fret; these two little words
misrepresent what the film is really about, although it is perhaps difficult to
think of any alternative genre it sits well with.
The tale is a supposition of William Shakespeare's involvement with Viola De
Lesseps; he suffering from writer's block with his latest commission,
Romeo And Ethel - The Pirate's Daughter, and her, longing to walk the boards.
Using the Bard's well known device of girl-dressed-as-boy, Viola takes the
lead of Romeo under the watchful eye of Shakespeare as he falls in love with
the real Viola.
Love blooms and their relationship blossoms until ripped apart by Viola's
enforced betrothal to Lord Wessex.
But the story isn't just about love and this romance, although it makes a fine
vehicle of parody as Romeo And Juliet is crafted along the way, there is action
and humour.
The humour ranges from the brash and brassy, bringing howls of delight from the
auditorium, to the subtle use of Shakespeare's, as yet unwritten, words woven
into the narrative. The comedy is never over done and it paces the film
brilliantly.
Whilst very little is actually known of Shakespeare as a person; this film does
a fine job of creating a myth of his life. It doesn't treat itself as the
definitive biography nor does it bow to the awe of the legend and yet it
retains a respect for its subject.
And neither is it a stuffy Costume Drama or a purely photogenic piece
of art. It's a brilliant, enjoyable and well crafted, down to earth, film
where the costume makers, carpenters and painters get more of a mention in the
credits than the digital effects whiz-kids.
Once again, the UK has shown that a film with a good cast, a good script and
screenplay with the right Director can be comparable to, or even better than,
the effects laden mega-blockbusters the silver screen so frequently sags
under.
Okay, the film was funded by American money, and the two leads are American,
but it is definitely British in its spirit and presentation.
Forget the unfortunate choice of title and tag line, think, "Romeo And Ethel,
The Pirate's Daughter", sit back, enjoy and have a good laugh along the way.
