film criticism by maryann johanson | handcrafted since 1997
Oh man, do I love this movie. It’s so good, and so chock full of a slew of bright young British actors — Michael Sheen, Emily Mortimer, Stephen Campbell Moore, Fenella Woolgar, James McAvoy — that I always forget that David Tennant is in it until he suddenly shows up and starts behaving in a … more…
They’re trying to sell this 2003 movie as ‘the prequel to *The Queen.*’ It’s right there on the DVD box. Don’t be fooled by it.
WHY IS THIS ONE OF THE BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR?: Helen Mirren turns in one of the greatest performances in cinematic history as the reigning queen of England, Elizabeth II, taking a woman who not only doesn’t come across as warm and sympathetic, she doesn’t even seem human … and Mirren humanizes her, makes … more…
