BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen

Subject: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 19 Sep 06 - 05:53 AM

I saw this film last night and was totally blown away by Helen Mirren's performance.

theres this scene where she is in conference with blair - and she expresses SUCH disapproval. She doesn't say anything, she doesn't make any gesture. I thought to myself afterwards - how DID she do that?

She is a fantastic actor.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Sep 06 - 06:06 AM

And a fine old bird to weelittledrummer. She may have a few birthdays clocked up, but a beautiful woman.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Big Mick
Date: 19 Sep 06 - 07:10 AM

I have long admired this wondrous actor. I am anxious to see her in this role. When she played the virgin queen, Elizabeth I, I was just knocked out. One of my fav's.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 04:41 AM

http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/feature.jsp?id=158222

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 04:49 AM

For lucky Channel 4 viewers - this coming Friday.

20:20 Elizabeth I
[repeat] [subtitles]   
A major two-part Channel 4 drama by Nigel Williams, starring Helen Mirren, Jeremy Irons, Hugh Dancy, Ian McDiarmid and Patrick Malahide. The drama portrays 'The Virgin Queen' in her later years, exposing the conflict between her sense of duty and the instincts of her heart.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 05:39 AM

Excellent! I'll watch it again - a seriously great actress giving a fine portrayal of Elizabeth I's human side.
S:0)

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: GUEST
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 05:57 AM

Agreed, great production and a beautiful mature woman, tends to plays tarts in most roles, great to see her in a serious role.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 07:40 AM

Helen Mirren makes a better Queen than Tony Blair makes a Prime Minister.

eric

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Mr Red
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 08:17 AM

Looks like reign?

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 08:23 AM

Prime Suspect, a tart....?

I thought the bloke who played Blair was pretty good as well. And the Alistair Campbell, and Prince Philip and prince charles ,....in fact, good all round.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Flash Company
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 09:33 AM

Believe the guy who played Blair is playing Nero in his next film. He could be in danger of type-casting.

FC

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 09:35 AM

I don't think you can compare Nero with Tony Blair.

Tony Blair is much worse.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 10:24 AM

If anyone is fiddling while the world around him burns, it's Bush. Makes Blair look like a choir boy. Or his general dogsbody.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 10:25 AM

Oh--but I forgot to say, Mirren IS marvelous.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Snuffy
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 11:06 AM

The following has been incorporated in most of the plays performed by the Shakespeare Mummers:

Father Christmas: That's an unusual dog.
Little Dick Nip: Yes it's a poodle
FC: Doesn't look like a poodle to me.
LDN: It's not a French Poodle - it's an American Poodle
FC: An American Poodle? What's its name?
LDN: Blair
Father Christmas kicks the dog very hard

And yes, Helen Mirren is always worth watching.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 12:04 PM

Right on the button SRS!
S:0)

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: GUEST,282RA
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 08:25 PM

Didn't she play Charlotte in the Madness of King George?

Although I hear she was actually part-black African.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Cllr
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 08:44 PM

I was lucky enough to meet her a couple of years back at the launch of a Ken Brannagh production, she is georgous. cllr

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 20 Sep 06 - 11:14 PM

Her family history is Russian. I think I recall reading somewhere that she even speaks some Russian. (Elena Lydia Mironoff)

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 01:50 AM

Is it not a litle strange how society can value the ablity to pretend to be someone else in order to make a living - in actors and actresses - but send fraudsters and con-artists to prison when they are caught displaying the same talent.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Big Mick
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 01:53 AM

What is strange is that you would not be able to discern the difference between acting to entertain, and acting to defraud or con someone out of the fruits of their labor.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 05:12 AM

It is the very same talent.

In the same way that it is the very same talent that is encouraged and rewarded when the state wishes and trains individuals to kill and which is discouraged and called murder when the state does not wish it.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Alison M
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 07:27 AM

Helen Mirren is a very good actress. I have many films with her in it.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 08:16 AM

You're a contary bugger Shambles. I bet if a Helen Mirren lookalike nicked your wallet, you would discern the difference.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 10:07 AM

I hear (if I have not been there to see it) that many convicted criminals are very good in prison amateur theatricals.

Of course I did not say there was not a difference or that I was unable to tell it - simply that it was strange and a possible double standard. But some us wouldn't recognise a double standard if it ran them over (or stole their wallet).

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Big Mick
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 11:00 AM

What is strange, but given the record of your postings, is that you woud find it strange and a "possible double standard". Your "logic" then indicates that one who uses a baseball bat to hit a ball possesses the same talent that would be used to take the baseball bat and hit someone in the head. Must be a double standard. And you wonder why people ........

Oh well, back to the discussion of Helen Mirren. Everytime one sees her on the television at various awards shows, she has the most wonderful smile. Amazing talent, and a beautiful woman.

Mick

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Paco Rabanne
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 11:08 AM

Has The Queen ever played Helen Mirren?

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 11:13 AM

(so to paraphrase Harry Enfield)

I'd say Oy! Mirren! You may be a mature sex godess what gets every male over 50 salivating like a one of them dogs what sailvate a lot, you might even a be good actress, and indeed that episode of prime Suspect when you got in bed with young black man and had it off was to my mind a classic of its kind of modern television drama.

But if I find you'd nicked my wallet, got the library ticket and taken out the maximum number of toffee nosed nosed books about about your pooftah luvvie friends and the pissed off to New York to subsidise an off broadway production of Oh Calcutta on the credit cards...

I'd say say Oy! Mirren! can I have a part....?

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 11:21 AM

Yes, she did indeed play Mrs Queen in film version of 'The Madness of George III'. And very good she was too.

Her reputation as a tart stems from early in her career when she'd drop her dress at the drop of a script.

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: billybob
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 11:51 AM

Nero (with actor who played Tony Blair as Nero)on BBC 2 tonight I think,its the new series on Rome.It looks really good.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 21 Sep 06 - 01:38 PM

She is said to be quite good with a baseball bat too.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Mr Fox
Date: 22 Sep 06 - 06:07 AM

"Nero (with actor who played Tony Blair as Nero)on BBC 2 tonight I think,its the new series on Rome.It looks really good."

It wasn't, though, was it? Ye gods, I've never seen acting so bad (well, maybe Jack Nicholson in 'The Shining'). And the script - "I have nothing to fear from the gods, BUT THE GODS HAVE EVERYTING TO FEAR FROM ME!!!!!" I near widdled myself laughing.

To cap it all, the gold toga and godawful makeup turned the whole thing into 'how Julian Clary wrecked civilisation'.

'Carry on Cleo' was better acted - and better history.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: The Shambles
Date: 22 Sep 06 - 06:42 AM

'Carry on Cleo' was better acted - and better history.

Was Helen Mirren in that too?

Just so it is clear - I also consider her to be a very fine actor indeed and I am looking forward to seeing her play both Elizibeth 1st and 2nd.

But I can't help thinking that if there were lots more employment opportunities for those with a talent for pretending to be someone else - perhaps there would not be a need for some to use these talents to make a living illegally?

Or perhaps it is only the not-so-skilled that get caught and the best 'actors' are still carrying-on pretending but are undetected?

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Strollin' Johnny
Date: 22 Sep 06 - 06:50 AM

WLD - Laughing me socks off mate!

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Sep 06 - 01:53 PM

Cutting a loaf of bread and cutting a throat involves much the same motor skills in both cases, and the ability to control the same kind of implement. However I suspect even the Shambles might think there is some significant difference between the two actions.
.......................

A very enjoyable film. And it was intriguing to be reminded once more of that very strange episode. As well they had the TV records of the public emotion, because if they had to rely on actors and extras they'd have to tone it down beyond recognition to be credible.

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: Zany Mouse
Date: 22 Sep 06 - 02:08 PM

Just been to see the film. Helen mirren is excellent as The Queen. In fact the entire cast were excellent. One or two of the Royals came over as paricularly unpleasant characters - I wonder if Phil The Greek is really as awful as portrayed and Letter-Box-Mouth Blair seemed entirely dysfunctional.

I wonder if Blair really was a good guy in those far off days.

Rhiannon

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: harpmolly
Date: 22 Sep 06 - 02:15 PM

Michael Sheen (Tony Blair in the abovementioned film) did a wonderful job in a sweet little movie called "Heartlands", which I really loved. And (whoa, folk music content!) it also happened to feature the music of John McCusker and even a guest appearance with him and Kate Rusby! Cool stuff!

Might be a breath of fresh air for those bemoaning his acting in the Nero movie (which I haven't seen), because you can't get much further away from Nero than his Heartlands character. :)

Molly

Subject: RE: BS: Helen Mirren as The Queen
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Sep 06 - 02:53 PM

I dunno - Prince Philip came across quite sympathetically I thought, doing the same kind of self-parody as a lot of people do as we get older.

The one who really came across as a really nasty piece of work was Alistair Campbell, as portrayed. Except they cleaned up his language quite a bit from real life, I gather. It was a good moment when Tony Blair was shown as finally working up the nerve to tell him what a shit he was - before promptly legging it out of the room before the School Bully could retaliate.