Perhps it is my male chauvinism, but the charm of Helen Mirren always has been lost on me. People say she is a great actress. Certainly she had a great role to play in this HBO miniseries filmed in Lithuania (?). I found her spinsterish and plain ugly. The scenes of her, wrinkled and painted like a doll, kissing Jeremy Irons and Hugh Dancy were nauseating, as remarked by another reviewer.
Jeremy Irons, an actor whose work I have always appreciated, lacked appeal here. This was partially the fault of some lame scriptwriting as to the role of Sir Robert Dudley. Dudley died of cancer in 1588 just after the defeat of the Armada. Trouble is, from the very start of the film Jeremy Irons looked exhausted and emaciated. He and Helen Mirren played their scenes like a couple of elderly gay men who have been together for years and years--no sense that this was a man and woman who responded physically to one another at any time.
To see how this role should be played, with swagger and style, check out Tom Hardy as the Earl of Leicester in the Grenada TV production of "The Virgin Queen". In fact, see that movie over this for a slew of reasons.
One bright spot was Robert Devereaux as played by young Hugh Dancy. He brought the physical presence, the youthful fire, that the historical Earl of Essex was said to have shown during his short life.
Jeremy Irons, an actor whose work I have always appreciated, lacked appeal here. This was partially the fault of some lame scriptwriting as to the role of Sir Robert Dudley. Dudley died of cancer in 1588 just after the defeat of the Armada. Trouble is, from the very start of the film Jeremy Irons looked exhausted and emaciated. He and Helen Mirren played their scenes like a couple of elderly gay men who have been together for years and years--no sense that this was a man and woman who responded physically to one another at any time.
To see how this role should be played, with swagger and style, check out Tom Hardy as the Earl of Leicester in the Grenada TV production of "The Virgin Queen". In fact, see that movie over this for a slew of reasons.
One bright spot was Robert Devereaux as played by young Hugh Dancy. He brought the physical presence, the youthful fire, that the historical Earl of Essex was said to have shown during his short life.