This romantic comedy is set in Britain and mostly Spain during the late 16th century. The picture tracks young Shakespeare's overwrought battle with an old Miguel De Cervantes when they both fall in love with a beautiful girl. Leonor(Elena Anaya) is a gorgeous girl living in England along with her girlfriend William Shakespeare(Will Kemp). She returns Spain with her servant(Geraldine Chaplin) when her father obligate her marry to ugly, cold-hearted Duke(Jose Maria Pou).The nasty Duke has daughters, a scheming(Malena Alterio) and an innocent nun(Giovanelli).At the castle she finds Miguel De Cervantes(Juan Luis Galiardo,also producer), the Lepanto's one-armed, and Leonor wins the playwright's heart. Soon Miguel and Will are caught in a forbidden love which provides rich inspiration for their playwright that they'll represent in presence of the villain Duke. Meanwhile Miguel De Cervantes is pursued by a cruel inquisitor(Juan Fernadez).
This is a jokey comedy , though, soon takes a backseat to ravishing romance when beauty Leonor falling in love with both, the Cervantes's heart and Will's sensibility. It's filled of funny romance with tongue placed firmly in cheek, good feeling, snappy one-lines and some moments fiercely clever and absolutely irresistible; however contains a little flaws and gaps, too. Nice performances by all casting. Wonderful Elena Anaya as Leonor, playing in English and Spanish language. Will is a dashing poetic philander well performed in English language by Will Kemp, his acting is worthy of Shakespeare in more ways than one and similar performance to Joseph Fiennes' Shakespeare in love. Good Juan Luis Galiardo as a lovestruck, mature, heartful Miguel De Cervantes. The colorful and evocative cinematography by Nestor Calvo is breathtakingly beautifully . Imaginative, sensible musical score by Stephen Warbeck, he won 1999 Oscar for best original music score to Shakespeare in love, and he's author : ¨Quills, Captain Corelli's Mandoline, Billy Elliot¨scores. In fact , the highlight movie is the final dance when the protagonists are dancing in spectacular background musical. The director Ines Paris hasn't forgotten to entertain the public in addition to riding an imaginary relationship between Cervantes and Shakespeare, however obtained indifferent reception by the audience.
