💕 Psst! *whispers* #FilmSky fans, put a mark on your calendar for Valentine’s weekend. No details as yet. Something for the romcom in you. Meantime, follow @mrhennessy.com and @filmchat.party for all the latest updates. #FilmChat 💕 #ScriptSkyUK #ScriptSky

Thank you, @baddestmamajama.bsky.social & @nomadicwriter.bsky.social, for leading a joyful celebration of one of the best films of the end of the 20th century, #SiL. We'd all be well-served to carve time out this year to revisit the works of art that give us meaning.♥️🙏 #FilmChat #filmsky #scriptsky

Jessica Ellis@baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 2y ago

What to even say about this ending. Is it real? Is it a play? Does it all turn out all right? I don’t know, it’s a mystery. Thanks so much for watching with me and to @nomadicwriter.bsky.social and @mrhennessy.com for inviting me. #SiL

What to even say about this ending. Is it real? Is it a play? Does it all turn out all right? I don’t know, it’s a mystery. Thanks so much for watching with me and to @nomadicwriter.bsky.social and @mrhennessy.com for inviting me. #SiL

“Every end is a beginning.” Pretty fitting because this has been the premier of @filmchat.party today. Huge thanks to @baddestmamajama.bsky.social for agreeing to do this with us, thanks to @mrhennessy.com for starting #FilmChat and asking us to do this. Huge fun. Hope folk enjoyed it. #SIL Anon!

💙 🇺🇦 NomadicWriter (Fritha Malcouronne) 🇺🇦 💙@nomadicwriter.bsky.social · 2y ago

Here it is: ‘Twelth Night.’ We know the main premise of that play is a woman disguising herself as a man, which is precisely what Viola had to do in order to become a ‘player’ herself. And the heroine’s name in TN? Viola! Of course. 😉 Every end is a beginning. #SIL

Here it is: ‘Twelth Night.’ We know the main premise of that play is a woman disguising herself as a man, which is precisely what Viola had to do in order to become a ‘player’ herself. And the heroine’s name in TN? Viola! Of course. 😉 Every end is a beginning. #SIL

The tailor’s moment with the prologue always makes me cry. It reaffirms Henslowe’s “no no, it will all work out,” and gives you a little hope to get you through the coming tragedies. #SiL

BTW Imelda Staunton and Jim Carter are married in real life. #SiL

#SiL does a fantastic job of interweaving the historical truths we know about William Shakespeare’s life - including Burbage’s patronage, which isn’t all that much, with all the fun, laughter and tears of this magnificent film.

Michael Hennessy 🇨🇦@mrhennessy.com · 2y ago

"The Curtain is yours." I'm so glad to revisit #SiL today, I'll be going back to reread my hard copy of the screenplay this week, it is a gem that I think has been set to the side for too long.

You desperately want to find a way to stop Viola’s wedding, just as in the play you’re trying to find some way out of the trap for the lovers. But that’s the whole point of the Queen’s frustration with plays - they omit that love often ends, that is is powerful because it can be devastating. #SiL

Such a beautiful moment. “We will show them that we are men of parts.” There’s an incredible story where the player companies came together to move one of the theaters, plank by plank, to the other side of the river. They were a wonder. #SiL

“It’s a woman!” As we know women weren’t permitted to be actors in Elizabethan times. All female parts were played by young men or pubescent boys. That’s why shoving Viola (note the name for a later scene) - Gwyneth Paltrow works so brilliantly in #SiL

A thing about R+J that #SiL implicitly understands is that the structure of the story is meant to be confusing. Until the letters go wrong in act 4, it is designed to look like a comedy. That’s why the tragedy of the ending is so blindsiding. This film does the same with Marlowe’s death.

Lush sets, wonderful cinematography, gorgeous costumes, fabulous script and brilliant performances: ‘Shakespeare in Love’ was made with love. It’s there in every frame. #SiL

There you go! That’s the reference I mentioned concerning Christopher Marlowe. We’re not done yet. Look how this news throws Will into a massive guilt trip (in the church). Makes one think a little of the ‘Scottish Play, especially when Wessex sees Will (ghost?). #SiL

Yes. Tom Stoppard and Marc Norman having enormous fun throwing in as many cultural and literary references as they can into #SiL

Jason Williamson@acejace.bsky.social · 2y ago

So many blink and you miss it literary moments - like the Chaucer reference from Wessex/Firth “Tide waits for no man…” #SiL

Deserved that Oscar and several more! #SiL

💙 🇺🇦 NomadicWriter (Fritha Malcouronne) 🇺🇦 💙@nomadicwriter.bsky.social · 2y ago

“She’s been plucked… and not by you. Takes a woman to know it.” Fantastic line. Judi Dench gives an incredible performance. A diamond! #SiL

The film *almost* never stops making fun of itself. Breaking the tension of Burbage coming after Will with Affleck’s “…are you really going to do it like that?” Kills me. #SiL

Shout out to Jim Carter who plays the ‘nurse.’ Another cracking Brit actor. Likewise Colin Firth who’s equally fabulous as Lord Wessex. #SiL

Remember how Viola disguised herself as a man to fool both Will and also the other players? That’s going to have a great pay off towards the end of the film when we learn what play Will writes next. Think about the main plot points of ‘that’ play when it’s referenced. #SiL

The blocking of the balcony sequence is truly spectacular. Will and Viola making love interspersed with the power of the words taking over the whole theater. It captures the whole scene in a way that almost no one else has ever managed. It’s staggering. #SiL

None of that anti-sex scene discourse round THESE parts, eh? This is a beautiful, sensual love scene with unexpected hilarity in the cuts to the nurse. #SiL

There’s that now immortal line - “A plague on both your houses.” See, we borrow and steal wherever we go. #SiL

💙 🇺🇦 NomadicWriter (Fritha Malcouronne) 🇺🇦 💙@nomadicwriter.bsky.social · 2y ago

Yes. Loved how they interweaved Will hearing “A plague on all your houses” as he walked the streets of London. We see how writers *cough* are essentially magpies, steeling, I mean, borrow from real life to create their scripts. #SiL

Yes. Loved how they interweaved Will hearing “A plague on all your houses” as he walked the streets of London. We see how writers *cough* are essentially magpies, steeling, I mean, borrow from real life to create their scripts. #SiL

Jessica Ellis@baddestmamajama.bsky.social · 2y ago

One of the beautiful things going on in this movie is that you’re seeing how a writer shapes personal experience into art - the meeting at the dance, speaking to her on her balcony. It’s a very intimate story to writers. #SiL

It’s totally unafraid to be sincere and lush, the movie is better for it. Those magical strings! #SiL

The London ‘cabbie’ boatman bragging about passengers is just perfect. #SiL

💙 🇺🇦 NomadicWriter (Fritha Malcouronne) 🇺🇦 💙@nomadicwriter.bsky.social · 2y ago

Watch out for all the nods to contemporary life; e.g. Will going to see his therapist. This film is littered with them. Some are more slight than others. #SiL

One of the beautiful things going on in this movie is that you’re seeing how a writer shapes personal experience into art - the meeting at the dance, speaking to her on her balcony. It’s a very intimate story to writers. #SiL

Personally I believe we could fix dating if we brought back Renaissance dancing. #SiL

a man in a red coat is dancing with a woman in a purple dress

ALT: a man in a red coat is dancing with a woman in a purple dress

media.tenor.com

This cast was made up of all my favorites - and several that I didn’t know I’d love, but have come to (the apothecary becoming Mr. Weasley, not least of all)!