The Michigan Daily - Monday, January 11, 1999 - mw l3ard's intense passion recreated in By Laura Flyer Daily Arts Writer Ingenious words of poetry only bolster a love story. That's why screenwriters Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard struck harmonious chords of passion and intensity in the st triumphant romantic comedy, "Shakespeare in 4 ve. " Based upon evidence that playwright William T Shakespeare may have been inspired by a lover to write - . "Romeo and Juliet," this film succeeds enormously on _ltw r many levels through wit and romance. 4,A. 'Shakespeare' Set in London in 1593, young Shakespeare (Joseph Fiennes) struggles to cope with "writer's block," ambling through the first few stanzas of a play with a not- so-catchy title, "Romeo and Ethel, Shakespeare the Pirate's Daughter." While In Love Shakespeare is the master of poetry, we learn, at least in this film, that he receives plot suggestions from others At Showcase with eager willingness. Neverthe- and State less, his draught in writing is over- come when he finds his muse, Lady Viola (Gwyneth Paltrow). She dis- guises herself as a male player in order to fulfill her dream of perform- ing poetry and expose herself to those geniuses who emotionally inspire her within herself. Will is this person, the object of her affection, and Viola and Will strive through all obstacles to maintain their connection with one another. What works so well with this film is that Shakespeare are masterfully imbued with the fondness of poetry and the desire for one another. - - Not only does "Shakespeare in Love" produce such- unadulterated fervor, but it also boasts strong acting from, a unique cast. Geoffrey Rush is comical as an anxiety-rid-: den liaison between the owners of the theaters and the writers whose plays are performed there. As usual, Ben Affleck plays the egotistical character, only managing. (unknowingly) to snag just a minor role in Will's play as: Mercutio. Colin First, as Viola's undesirable fiance Lord Wessex, and Tom Wilkinson, as a stuttering, blundering financier, are equally masterful. Though few and far between, the sparse bits of dialogue from Judi Dench's role as the Queen are enough to undoubtedly allow her to wear the crown for the best per- formance in "Shakespeare in Love." The Queen seals the fate of Will and Viola through psy-. chological intuition and judiciousness. She affirms the: love not only between Will and Viola but also through her revelation of the existence of emotion in stage dramas,.' which were otherwise known to be thought of as merely comical exhibitions. While the film isn't to be hailed for its historical accu- racy (Viola is to sail to Virginia to live on a tobacco plan- tation, but in 1593 there is no Virginia yet), it is certainly accented through through wonderful costuming. Shakespeare, a poor playwright, dons the same shabby old leather jacket throughout the film. The wealthy Viola, on the other hand wears luxurious clothing that stands out yet isn't ostentatious enough to detract from her beauty. Director of the equally smart film, "Her Majesty Mrs. Brown," John Madden II has succeeded again in transpos- ing an antiquated story into a highly entertaining spectacle. Leonard stories Courtesy of Miramax Films Gwyneth Paltrow and Joseph Flennes share a romantic moment in "Shakespeare In Love." emits raw spontaneity and inspiration through his charac- ter, from moments when he dashes towards his quill and stool to begin scribbling away, to his lengthy yet persistent runs through the streets of London in search of Viola. Soon all of his instinctual desires are translated into pas- sion and poetry in the love encounters with Viola, which 'Tonto' collects] 'Cuba' falls into predictable plot Cuba Libre Imore Leonard Delacorte Press I** The seemingly inexorable Elmore Leonard renaissance con- tinued in force throughout 1998. Actually, renaissance is a little mis- leading, for the Detroit-area author's career continues to experi- ce achievements unprecedented or Leonard - that is, until the last couple of years. It's not as if Leonard, who now lives in Birmingham, was suddenly rescued from Tin Pan Alley. His dozens of crime novels, dating back to the '60s, had already earned the author a com- fortable living and a dedicated cult of followers. He was also a critics' dar- ling, by general acclamation the best crime writer alive. 1* "Cuba Libre," it turns out, is a departure for Leonard. It is not only a return to the Western milieu that Leonard dabbled in very early in his career, but it is a piece of his- torical fiction deeply entrenched in its distinctive setting: Cuba 1898, squarely at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War. Fans need not fear, however: "Cuba Libre" is still essentially a Leonard crime novel, chiefly con- cerned with the potential score of a lifetime and questions of who's- scamming-who. This time, Leonard's endearing rogue of a protagonist is Ben Tyler, an expert cowboy and convicted bank robber who, upon his release, gets talked into a scheme running guns to the Cuban insurgents by his old cowpunching boss Charlie Burke. Of course, the scheme first goes very wrong, then develops into something abundantly more complicated, involving train rob- bery, kidnapping (real and staged), press fraud, and a desirable yet dan- gerous female accomplice. Leonard's strengths, his lightning pacing and his unmatched genius for dialogue, are intact, and the dia- logue does not glare with period incredibility despite its millennial pizzazz. Overall, however, matters are not up to the level of Leonard's best, like "Get Shorty" and "Riding the Rap." A lot has to do with Leonard's interest in the historical backdrop of the igniting war, about which the reader is frequently told. Leonard's digressions come off as just that, diluting the unique Leonard humor. One gets the impression that the author simply milked the centenni- al opportunity to include a topic he evidently enjoys, considering the much smaller history lesson on Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders he worked into "Get Shorty." Furthermore, some plot twists seem more predictable than prime Dutch Leonard turf ought to, includ- ing certain characters who practically wear neon tattoos that they will, say, die early, or double-cross our hero. Nonetheless, the craftsmanship and gusto still grabs the reader, who ought to need no more than a long afternoon to tear through a breakneck 350 pages. It would take a true believer, though, to shell out the funds for the hardcover edition of what is truly a born paperback. -Jeff Druchniak The Tonto Woman and Other Western Stories Elmore Leonard Delacorte Press Lately it seems that author and Detroit native Elmore Leonard has received more attention for the film adaptations of his crime capers ("Get Shorty," "Jackie Brown" and "Out of Sight") than his actual work as a writer. This is not due to any shortcoming on his part but rather the fact that the majority of the adaptations have been high profile releases that were well received by critics and audiences. As an author, Leonard works in two genres: crime and westerns. Leonard's latest, "The Tonto Woman and Other Western Stories," is a collec- tion of short stories that the author mainly wrote for pulp magazines before he worked on novels. The 19 stories deal with everything from stolen buffa- lo skins to a son taking revenge for his father's death. The majority of the tales are less than 20 pages each, but a few of the stories are significantly longer. Some of the superior stories are "The Colonel's Lady," involving an Apache and a kidnapped girl, "The Big Hunt," a first person account which involves a homeless boy and some pieces of gold, and "The Tonto Woman." The book's title story is told in flash- back, a trademark of Leonard's work, and deals with a married woman who was outcast by her husband after her face was tattooed by the Mojaves. The woman comes into contact with a roam- ing criminal and the situation comes to a head when her husband enters the mix, letting it be known that he's not too pleased with his wife hanging out with this mysterious man. Leonard does a fine job creating the setting of the stories, making the reader feel as if they were in the old West. The author does extensive research for his work and it pays off, creating a mood that is just as important to the stories as any of their quirky characters. The one glaring component that the book lacks is some sort of introduction by Leonard or background information on the stories. Even something short would give readers a little more insight to where the stories come from and how Leonard's career got started. There is nothing that indicates the origin of the stories, so many readers could get the wrong impression about the book. Despite the lack of an introduction, "The Tonto Woman and Other Western Stories" is an enjoyable read that should be of great interest to the author's fans. - Matthew Barrett t c a JL AA- co / i iOMt .;Cas 1m itt the f1).,ids o'I Ile ol.itl j ' }ga~te} rai h vandl the I iteratio fre (i )pe'armnw Io We're looking for thinkers. Not just their diplomas. It's all about making an impact. Andrcan 'nnc.mltinn nrecwntatinn-Mnndav. anunarv 11- 7:00 n.m. Michian Union. Kuenzel Room.