Review of The Lion in Winter

I never saw the 1968 version with Katharine Hepburn although I will later. Glenn Close is illuminating as Eleanor of Aquitane with a range that runs from comedy to tragedy. Sir Patrick Stewart OBE plays her King Henry II. He is brilliant in this role and this project is a labor of love with his wife and producer Wendy Nuess Stewart. Stewart's well-known as a Shakespearean actor before he became famous for another role. Unlike Shakespeare, The Lion in Winter is more enjoyable because there isn't iambic pentameter. The cast is great. Stewart and Close are remarkable as the estranged couple and parents of three sons, Richard; Jeffrey; and John who are nothing but disappointments to their parents. They're after their father's throne. But the film really belongs to Stewart and Close because their performances stand out so well.