VICTORIA & ABDUL (2017) Starring Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Michael Gambon, Olivia Williams, Eddie Izzard, Simon Callow, Tim Pigott-Smith, Adeel Akhtar, Fenella Woolgar, Julian Wadham and Deano Bugatti. Screenplay by Lee Hall. Directed by Stephen Frears. Distributed by Focus Features. 112 minutes. Rated PG-13. Have you ever seen those cute YouTube videos where two very … Continue reading
Tag Archives: Stephen Frears
Florence Foster Jenkins (A PopEntertainment.com Movie Review)
FLORENCE FOSTER JENKINS (2016) Starring Meryl Streep, Hugh Grant, Simon Helberg, Rebecca Ferguson, Nina Arianda, Stanley Townsend, Allan Corduner, Christian McKay, David Haig, John Sessions, Brid Brennan and John Kavanagh. Screenplay by Nicholas Martin. Directed by Stephen Frears. Distributed by Paramount Pictures. 110 minutes. Rated PG-13. Talent is such a fickle thing. Knowledge, or interest, … Continue reading
Philomena (A PopEntertainment.com Movie Review)
Philomena One of the most difficult parts of filmmaking is precisely judging the tone to use in what is essentially a tragic story. If the movie turns on the emotional waterworks, the film will inevitably seem too mawkish. If the film tries to take the story with a comic bent, it opens itself up to … Continue reading
Lay the Favorite (A PopEntertainment.com Movie Review)
Lay the Favorite At the beginning of Lay the Favorite, there is a title scrawl which reads: “As luck would have it, the following story is true.” Which makes you sort of wonder, why tell this particular true story? I’m not saying that to be mean, Lay the Favorite actually has some interesting, quirky characters … Continue reading
Helen Mirren Presents a Queenly Performance
Helen Mirren Presents a Queenly Performance by Brad Balfour For Golden Globe-winning actress Helen Mirren, playing Her Majesty Elizabeth II in The Queen wasn’t such a stretch since she had already given a masterful rendition of another monarch with her uncanny portrayal of Elizabeth I in the 2005 British mini-series. The 61-year old Mirren’s experience in preparing … Continue reading
Audrey Tautou Survives War and Love and Becomes an International Star
AUDREY TAUTOU Survives War and Love and Becomes an International Star by Brad Balfour Once quirky French director Jean-Pierre Jeunet saw his offbeat romantic comedy, Amelie, become not just a hit in France but one throughout the world (it was even nominated for an Oscar), Audrey Tautou became a star. Now several years later, the two … Continue reading