THE QUEEN: Helen Mirren won an Emmy for her portrayal
of Elizabeth I, but I think her job in The Queen is more difficult because she must portray a living
person. We have all seen Queen Elizabeth II in photos and on TV, and a lesser actress might settle for a close impersonation.
But Mirren manages to create a three-dimensional character while staying true to the public image of the British Queen. Mirren
is skilled at letting us see thoughts. With an ever so slight tightening of her jaw, the actress is able to communicate the
emotions that Queen Elizabeth has spent her life trying not to reveal in public. Much of the film is set at Balmoral Castle
and it’s a bit disconcerting to see the Queen of England driving a jeep on the rough country roads of the estate. (I
learned that During WWII, the Princess Elizabeth was a trained mechanic.) The film makes us aware of how isolated the royal
family is and how clueless they seem to be about public relations. Michael Sheen is especially good as Tony Blair. The week
following Princess Diana’s death made a hero out of him, and, because of her refusal to react publicly, a villain out
of the Queen. Blair was eventually successful in persuading the Queen to return to Buckingham Palace and to make a personal
tribute to Diana on national television. And we see how difficult that was for her. We were particularly impressed with a
scene where Blair makes an impassioned speech to his staff in defense of the Queen. James Cromwell plays Price Philip as a
rather dim bulb. Alex Jennings is believable as Charles, the Prince of Wales. Sylvia Syms, whose 50-year career encompasses
89 films, is the Queen Mother. Director Stephen Frears has an impressive filmography including Gosford Park, Dirty
Pretty Things, High Fidelity, The Grifters, Dangerous Liaisons and the recent Mrs. Henderson Presents.
He directs The Queen with a sure hand and kept us engaged throughout. Helen Mirren and
Michael Sheen’s performances deserve an A. We give the film a B+. GRADE B+
THE QUIET AMERICAN: You just can't beat a movie made from a really good novel, and
this movie is a prime example. Taken from Graham Greene's novel of the same name, The Quiet American
is set in Viet Nam in the early 1950s. It stars Michael Caine as Thomas Fowler, a London correspondent, and Brendan Frazier
as Alden Pyle, an economic aid worker. Fowler declares himself to be an "uninvolved observer" of the on-going war for independence
between the French and the Vietnamese. He refuses to take sides, but he has taken Phuong, young Vietnamese girl, as his mistress.
She is played by the very beautiful Do Thi Hai Yen. Everything in Fowler's life changes when Pyle enters the picture. At first
the quiet American appears to be exactly what he says he is, but gradually Fowler begins to suspect that there is more to
his presence in Saigon than humanitarian concerns. Pyle falls in love with Phuong and that adds romantic complications to
the political intrigue. The combination makes for an absorbing story--a story that is beautifully told. Michael Caine is at
the peak of his considerable talents in the role of Thomas Fowler. You can't take your eyes off his face and the multitude
of emotions he can express by doing almost nothing. He certainly deserves an Oscar nomination for this film. The
Quiet American is directed by Phillip Noyce who also directed Rabbit-Proof Fence. A 1958
version of the same Greene novel was directed by Joseph Mankiewicz, but, in that film, Fowler was the bad guy and Pyle the
hero. This version is truer to the original novel. GRADE A
Note: (Taken from Roger Ebert's review.)
As luck would have it, "The Quiet American" was planned for release
in the autumn of 2001. It was shelved after 9/11, when Miramax president Harvey Weinstein decided, no doubt correctly, that
the national mood was not ripe for a film pointing out that the United States is guilty of terrorist acts of its own. Caine
appealed to Weinstein, who a year later allowed the film to be shown at the Toronto Film Festival, where it was so well received
by the public and critics that Miramax opened it for Oscar consideration in December. Now it goes into national release, on
what appears to be the eve of another dubious war.
QUILLS:
Quills is a well-made movie. The question is why would anyone bother to make it? Or watch it? This
movie goes beyond unpleasant--it is nasty. Even the fine performance of Geoffrey Rush cannot make this dark tale entertaining.
The film doesn't even begin to paint a true picture of the man whose name is synonymous with sadism. The real Marquis was
an aristocrat who believed that he had a right to commit murder for his own pleasure. He was one sick puppy! Believe it or
not, in Quills, Rush actually gives De Sade a bit of charm. The Marquis is not the only despicable person in the film. Michael
Caine is equally distasteful as a doctor who attempts to "cure" the author of his pornographic proclivities. Joaquin Phoenix
is a Priest who befriends De Sade. Kate Winslet is Madeleine, a chambermaid in the Charenton Asylum who helps the Marquis
get his writing published. Roger Ebert is one of many critics who have praised the film. He said in his review, "Kaufman (the
director) finds a tone that remains more entertaining than depressing, more absorbing than alarming." I disagree: I found
it both depressing and alarming. Ebert can say, "It is more about the mind than the flesh," but it is the flesh we see in
this film and it is repugnant. Gary is willing to go as high as C- for a grade, but based solely on my enjoyment of the film
I'm going to have to give it a D. GRADE D/C-
