This actor never ceases to amaze me. Having seen her riveting performance in "The Queen" for which she was justly and rightly awarded The Oscar, I could hardly wait to get my eyes on this and I was not disappointed.
The story has been retold over and over, the reign of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. Good Queen Bess. This production brings a freshness and humanity to this long(4 hour) tale, but every minute counts and I, for one, sighed when it was over, I wanted more.
The costumes are incredible, the historical detail superb and Helen brings a humanity to the part that at times is heartbreaking. One understands the turmoil inside, she has not managed to secure a suitable husband or bear a child to inherit the throne.
The script brings this humanity to the surface but also the strength of the monarch beneath. A monarch who won every battle, every contest. I could only envision Helen doing the script justice.
Jeremy Irons as the Earl of Leichester plays well against her superb talent, bringing the devotion of years of service and love of her to the surface. A love that can never be legalized as he is considered unsuitable for her hand in marriage.
The sensuous nature of this love is palpable as he and Mirren interact and weave their intimacies (and none of her relationships were ever consummated) into an intensity that is enthralling.
The supporting cast are brilliant, hard to single any one out but it includes Patrick Malahide as Sir Frances Walsingham, Toby Jones (one of my personal favourites - he nails his roles) as Robert Cecil, who works his way to the forefront of the Queen's life even though she refers to him scathingly as "Pygmy", and Ian McDiarmid as William Cecil, a.k.a. Lord Burghley, father of Robert.
The delicious Hugh Dancy plays Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex. Two sided, self-serving and ingratiating. But lovely. Elizabeth falls hard and sometimes publicly.
She is no fool though, with any one of her courtiers. "Off with their heads" is a frequent occurrence and the result is quite graphic and not for young eyes, or older ones, I had to avert my head several times and wondered how on earth the graphic disemboweling, beheading and quartering was done.
The beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, is particularly gruesome from what I saw through my fingers.
Not to be missed for fans of historical, epic costume dramas. 9 out of 10. Bravo to all.
The story has been retold over and over, the reign of the Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I. Good Queen Bess. This production brings a freshness and humanity to this long(4 hour) tale, but every minute counts and I, for one, sighed when it was over, I wanted more.
The costumes are incredible, the historical detail superb and Helen brings a humanity to the part that at times is heartbreaking. One understands the turmoil inside, she has not managed to secure a suitable husband or bear a child to inherit the throne.
The script brings this humanity to the surface but also the strength of the monarch beneath. A monarch who won every battle, every contest. I could only envision Helen doing the script justice.
Jeremy Irons as the Earl of Leichester plays well against her superb talent, bringing the devotion of years of service and love of her to the surface. A love that can never be legalized as he is considered unsuitable for her hand in marriage.
The sensuous nature of this love is palpable as he and Mirren interact and weave their intimacies (and none of her relationships were ever consummated) into an intensity that is enthralling.
The supporting cast are brilliant, hard to single any one out but it includes Patrick Malahide as Sir Frances Walsingham, Toby Jones (one of my personal favourites - he nails his roles) as Robert Cecil, who works his way to the forefront of the Queen's life even though she refers to him scathingly as "Pygmy", and Ian McDiarmid as William Cecil, a.k.a. Lord Burghley, father of Robert.
The delicious Hugh Dancy plays Robert Devereaux, the Earl of Essex. Two sided, self-serving and ingratiating. But lovely. Elizabeth falls hard and sometimes publicly.
She is no fool though, with any one of her courtiers. "Off with their heads" is a frequent occurrence and the result is quite graphic and not for young eyes, or older ones, I had to avert my head several times and wondered how on earth the graphic disemboweling, beheading and quartering was done.
The beheading of Mary, Queen of Scots, is particularly gruesome from what I saw through my fingers.
Not to be missed for fans of historical, epic costume dramas. 9 out of 10. Bravo to all.