rocket-russ-83319
I'll start by saying that I think if I were left alone in the wilderness with only one film to watch, this would almost certainly be it!
Expectations are set against the extremely high bar that this troupe of guided actors and writers have delivered in other projects (Horrible Histories, Yonderland) and this film goes much, much further.
Every character offers a layer of brilliance, some only fleeting, but all adding to the web of comedy that keeps the viewer laughing from beginning to end.
The ability to play numerous roles in the same production has been mastered by the "Six Idiots" and they show that they are at the flagship end of modern British comedy.
"Bill" follows the legendary figure of Shakespeare through a period of time that remains undocumented, offering what should be clear from the outset, plenty of artistic license and freedom.
The story forms the backbone of the film, but as we have come to love of this team, there are plenty of small side-sketches and pockets of beautifully written and performed gags.
Rickard and Willbond deliver a script that their closest peers have delivered with perfection, both planned and ad-libbed.
The soundtrack is so good that it may almost be overlooked, helping provide an almost edible depth to every scene. It is worth listening to alone, to fully appreciate the brilliance of the compositions.
Finding new jokes on the fourth or fifth viewing of this masterpiece will make you realise how very clever the production is. And yet still inspires its audience to follow up on it's curiosity and pick up the interest in the past where "Horrible Histories" left off.
diadectes58
I have just watched this movie on Amazon Prime. I had never heard of it but it was free to view so I thought I would give it a try. I ended up watching it till the end (plus the credits) and really enjoyed it. It was amusing rather than funny but I laughed out loud a few times. It is a bit silly so is not recommended if you like serious films. However, if you like Monty Python and Blackadder you should like this film. I will not say anything about the story as if you are reading this you are obviously on IMDb so will probably have read the plot and a few other reviews. It is definitely worth watching and surprisingly good. More so if you are from the UK as other nationalities will miss a lot of the jokes and humour. It is also full of quotes from Shakespeare, Easter Eggs and at least one reference to a certain science fiction movie.
jaster-7
This movie was such a delightfully funny surprise. Reminiscent of Monty Python fare and wit, it totally cracked me up. Well executed, well paced, and well cast, and served up with ridiculous irreverent perfection. I got the feeling they were loving what they were doing - and I loved it too. Plus the added surprise of seeing who played who at the end. The movie takes elements of the accepted history of "Bill" (a la Shakespeare In Love) and tells very a funny story about it.So refreshing to watch, compared to so many plot-less comedies that rely on gross out jokes, juvenile themes, and offensive language to be 'funny'. The banter is quick, the jokes and gags fresh and unexpected, the lines classic, and it contains all the twists and turns of, well, a Shakespearean comedy.Loved it.Best liked: Characters using Shakespearean phrases.
littlewritingmachine
Anyone who has studied history, and that's just about everyone, will find something to enjoy in Bill, a big screen leap for the popular TV team that expands the scope of the show without letting go of the good humour and wit beloved by millions.Taking a cue from Shakespeare in Love, but playing the idea of the Bard's formative years in a very different way, Bill features Mathew Bayton as the young playwright, seeking his fortune in London and falling under the wing of Christopher Marlowe (Jim Howick). The historical aspect is brought to the fore as King Phillip II (Ben Willbond) concocts a scheme to eliminate Queen Elizabeth I (Helen McCrory) by gunpowder, with Bill's first play giving him a pretext to carry out his plan. Bill's excitement about seeing his work brought to the stage is tempered by a dawning realisation that he's only a pawn in a bigger political game.Bill might well work for worldwide audiences as a cheerful parody of Shakespeare in Love, but has its own sense of comic invention. It's refreshing to see a British film with such spirited performances, with Willbond sporting several moustaches at once and his co-writer Laurence Rickard superbly deadpan as the violently anti-Catholic Walsingham. Bill never dumbs down history, but reflects it through amusingly modern updates; the castle security go to Code Woad when the believe there's a high risk of attack, and Phillip's men are subject to a search by a decidedly modern customs officer. Damien Lewis has a brief but amusing cameo, and all the performers are on point; you can tell that they've got confidence in the material, and they wring every possible laugh from it. Sneaking into cinemas with barely a breath of publicity, Bill should find a wide and appreciative audience once it finds a home on the small screen; carefully plotted and with genuine wit behind the gags, it's the best British comedy of the year. That may not be saying much, given that big-screen comedy is seemingly a lost art, but Bill is just the thing to put a rare smile on the faces of adults and children alike.
AD
