Tag Archives: Roger Allam

2006 Films, Biography, Drama, Political Drama, Royalty

The Queen-2006

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The Queen-2006

Director Stephen Frears

Starring Helen Mirren

Scott’s Review #1,253

Reviewed May 8, 2022

Grade: A

Before the Netflix series, The Crown (2016-2023), loudly stomped into existence and took the world on a historical journey through the trials and tribulations of British royalty, there was The Queen (2006).

Starring Helen Mirren, the film is a quiet telling of the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II, especially immediately after the death of Princess Diana and the conflict and contention that took place.

Ironically, The Crown was created and primarily written by Peter Morgan, who also wrote The Queen.

He created The Crown because of The Queen, so there is an instant correlation between the two brilliant projects, and the handwriting is very similar.

Stephen Frears, who also directed Judi Dench to an Oscar nomination for Philomena (2013), is at the helm and earned an Oscar nomination for directing, as well as a win for Mirren.

The Queen is a terrific film across the board, and Mirren is phenomenal in her portrayal of the grand dame. She cleverly fuses stiffness and stoicism with subtle warmth and humanity few see from the queen, at least publicly.

Layers of complexity are provided to an already mysterious public figure.

Following the death of Princess Diana in a fiery auto accident, Great Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren) and Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) struggled to reach a compromise on how the royal family should publicly respond to the tragedy.

The family’s need for privacy and the public’s demand for an outward show of mourning are in the balance. It causes mayhem and drama behind the sacred walls of Buckingham Palace.

The performances by Mirren and the direction are what make The Queen pure magic and a standout among the many royalty-themed films that have emerged since the beginning of motion pictures.

First of all, Mirren looks like Queen Elizabeth II, and this goes way beyond wearing glasses and a sweater or having the same hairdo. She encompasses the role, and this is no small feat.

The mannerisms, speech patterns, and low-key attitude are the amazing nuances the actress can somehow channel.

It feels more than Mirren dressing up like royalty and showing up scene after scene. She does something much more with the queen’s unspoken looks and inner workings that becomes apparent to the viewer.

Frears chooses to include many close-ups of the characters, mainly of Mirren, which focus on what each character is thinking and pondering.

The film is very subdued, with a lovely musical score adding texture and appeal to each frame. The inclusion of archival footage lends a powerful sense of realism.

Merely nine years after the real-life death of the uber-popular Diana, the event was still so fresh in the minds of viewers that releasing The Queen at this time was a stroke of genius.

It’s no secret that while Queen Elizabeth II is respected, she is worlds away from wildly popular Diana and emits a coolness that baffles the public.

Thanks to Mirren, the public gets a glimpse into the heart and soul of a mysterious person, and that’s a good feeling indeed.

However, Mirren couldn’t have delivered fully without the talents of Michael Sheen as Prime Minister Tony Blair. Generations apart and with differing views, they spar and respect each other, slowly forging a friendship of sorts.

The Queen (2006) hardly needs bombs, bombast, or quick editing to get its point across, though speaking of editing, a fantastic job of it with family scenes of Diana.

The film lures the viewer into its web and makes them feel like an insider amongst the walls of royalty.

Oscar Nominations: 1 win-Best Picture, Best Director-Stephen Frears, Best Actress-Helen Mirren (won), Best Original Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score

2015 Films, Biography, British, Comedy, Drama

The Lady in the Van-2015

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The Lady In The Van-2015

Director Nicholas Hytner

Starring Maggie Smith

Scott’s Review #610

Reviewed January 19, 2017

Grade: B

Maggie Smith can do no wrong and I will happily enjoy watching her in anything- anytime. Around in film since the 1950s this lady deserves a starring film role.

Utterly distinctive she is, as legendary actress Bette Davis was,  Smith has a style purely her own. Her facial expressions and exasperated gasps make her one of the great film stars.

The Lady in the Van (2015) is specifically made for her, but besides her talents, the movie is a decent offering, but very safe.

It lacks the depth that it could have had.

Written by Alan Bennett, the film tells the true story of Mary Sheperd, an elderly woman living in a broken-down van, who befriends Bennett and eventually lives in his driveway for fifteen years before her inevitable death.

Set in northern London, a quaint and gorgeous part of the world, Mary harbors a deep secret involving her van and is revealed to have been a star piano pupil in her day.

Smith has no qualms about playing unflattering characters.

Shepherd is grizzled, abrupt, and rude, but Smith puts a lot of heart into her too, so the audience senses her vulnerability and falls in love with her. With her sad protruding blue eyes, wrinkles for miles, and chirpy voice, Smith is fantastic at giving her all to the role.

The rest of the cast adequately play their roles but are limited and out-shadowed at every turn. Most notable is the wasted talents of Jim Broadbent, appearing in a small and quite meaningless role.

Besides Smith’s brilliant performance, The Lady in the Van lacks layers. The story is good, but we never see many of Mary’s struggles. How does she afford food? How is she not sick? The film skims over the darker elements of homelessness in favor of a lighthearted tale.

Fine, but what about her inevitable issues?

Other less important stories are mentioned but not fully explored. Alex speaks to what looks like his twin brother, but is it his alter ego?

Young men come and go at night, so the presumption is that Alex is gay, and in the end, we do see Alex living with a man, but why is this so vaguely written? Why mention it at all?

This story would have been interesting to delve deeper into given that the real Alex Bennett wrote the film.

Other side stories are introduced but remain on the surface. Alex’s mother suffers from Alzheimer’s, but this is not explored much, and Mary’s brother, who institutionalized her at a young age, offers no explanation as to why this was done she had a mental illness- but the brother’s motivations are not clear.

I wanted more from the supporting characters than was offered.

Still, the bottom line is that The Lady in the Van (2015) is a Maggie Smith film, and any in which she has the lead role, is pretty damned good for that reason alone.

2012 Films, Gothic, Horror

The Woman in Black-2012

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The Woman in Black-2012

Director James Watkins

Starring Daniel Radcliffe, Janet McTeer

Scott’s Review #429

70206133

Reviewed June 21, 2016

Grade: C

The Woman in Black (2012) is an example of a recent trend in modern horror films. The positives are great effects (shadows, lighting, ghosts, some scares), but the story is not compelling and makes no sense causing it to be a negative.

The eerie setting of foggy London and a creepy seaside village are perfect.

The cinematography dynamic instantly elicits a feeling of dread, coldness, and secrets.

From that point, the story sinks into a chaotic mess of unbelievable twists that, instead of compelling, only confuses the viewer until he or she no longer cares.

That is a shame.

I give Daniel Radcliffe credit for trying to shake his Harry Potter image by going the horror route. I suspect that is the entire point of the film, as it centers around Radcliffe, but it seemed like I was still watching a Harry Potter movie.

Nice effects, but poor story. This Woman in Black (2012) will be forgotten before long.