Today my life feels too peasant-like. Not at all fanned, honored, fussed over, or bejewelled. So I'm thinking of movie royalty. Here are three queens I love from the movies. Name yours in the comments.
Queen Elizabeth (Dame Judi Dench in Shakespeare in Love)Had I an Oscar to give for 1998's supporting ladies it would have gone to Patricia Clarkson in High Art but, alas, I had not one to donate. That said, I was fine with where it went. This is (by far) my favorite Dench performance. Absolutely rich, hilarious, and pitch perfect.
Titania, Queen of the Fairies (Pfeiffer in A Midsummer Night's Dream)Shakespeare doesn't exactly suit La Pfeiffer but as early as my first flush of obsession for her I dreamt of her and Rupert Everett as co-stars. It says so in a movie scrapbook I kept at the time. I have proof! So I was thrilled to see them paired as the fairie royals: glittery, gauzy bliss (at least visually)
Queen Margot (Isabelle Adjani in La Reine Margot)My favorite movie queen. This film thrilled me so much on opening night that I went back again the next day (I've done that maybe three times total in my life). If you've never seen La Reine Margot--if you've been ignoring my pitches for it over the years, stop resisting. This lush, romantic, gripping historical epic shows Hollywood how grandiose period pieces are done. Plus it's hot.
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11 comments:
Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter, alongside my favorite movie king, Peter O'Toole.
Helen Mirren is the tops at playing royalty. See her Queen Charlotte in The Madness of King George, or watch HBO's continuous loop of Elizabeth I, in which she gives Dench a run for her crown. Speaking of Dench, her Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown deserves the Oscar given to the pauperish Helen of Hunt.
Rupert Everett and Michelle will be costars again in Stardust, and if they stay true to the book, they will have a great scene together in the movie.
Quentin Crisp as Elizabeth I in Orlando
Katherine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter
Yup, I'm Judi in Shakespeare too. But then you know I'm a Dench Hag.
Rob
OMG I watched Queen Margot in sophomore year of high school when we were studying the French Revolution. It was quite hot and it began my love affair with Isabelle Adjani.
Cate Blanchett in both "Elizabeth" and "The Lord of the Rings" is just perfection.
Katharine Hepburn in The Lion in Winter tops my list of favorite movie queens. Cate Blanchett in Elizabeth is a close second.
LOVE Judi Dench in Shakespeare. "She's been plucked since I saw her last... and not by you. It takes a woman to notice". Perfect. Cate Blanchett was also extremely great that same year in Elizabeth.
I liked Queen Margot but didn't get into it as much as I would've hoped.
My favourite queens though are still Hugo Weaving and Guy Pierce in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert... or don't they count?
I agree about Dench in Mrs Brown, that was a pitch-perfect performance, stunning. Did my Monday request inspire this post?
Perhaps it's not a fair comparison
since her performance was in a
mini-series,but Glenda Jackson
in "Elizabeth R" was as close to
perfection as we'll likely see.
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