Must See TV
The two-part series on HBO on Elizabeth I entitled Elizabeth I (well, that's an obvious one, huh?). You've probably heard about it. It's the one starring Helen Mirren and Jeremy Irons. And I rediscovered a cutey in Hugh Dancy who plays the Earl of Essex in Part 2 (he played the prince in Ella Enchanted).
WATCH THIS MOVIE. Seriously. It's amazing. As much as I liked Cate Blanchett's version, this one is even better. Helen makes a wonderful Elizabeth. She portrays the queen as a very strong woman, but with wants to be loved, to feel pretty, etc. like any other woman. You see her internal struggle between doing what is best for herself and doing what is best as queen. It's just fantastic. You lose Helen and you become totally invested in the character of Elizabeth. You want her to be happy with the Earl of Leicester. You want the Earl of Essex to not be a whiny boy who then betrays her, because you want her to be happy. And, not only that, but the costuming... wow. You get not only the iconic gowns with the giant crowns and collars you probably picture when you think "Elizabeth I", but they also took care to create sort-of "everyday working" looks for her that are still rich in texture but not as frufru. Because you know it'd be a giant pain in the ass to go around all day with a 2-foot collar sticking up off the back of your dress. And the set.... OMG. This being the kind of thing I want to do as my vocation the making of thing made me drool. They built the set in Lithuania in a stadium. The recreation of Whitehall castle was phenomenal. It was breathtakingly beautiful. And, in one scene in the second part, she literally starts at one mark, winds her way through the whole set, and ends up back at the same spot, so you see the whole thing. Gorgeous. *drool*
Anyway, the writing, the casting, everything: brilliant. Watch it. Oh, and keep an ear out for a few borrowed lines from Shakespeare. I was all, "Sneaky, but fair, considering they're of the same time. Maybe she's borrowing lines from plays he's already put on for her?" But then someone other than the Queen said another line and that went that notion. But it's a fun drinking game to play, nonetheless.
If you don't have HBO, I hope they put it out on DVD soon, because, DAMN.
Oh, and the coolest bit? They're doing another episode with Helen as Elizabeth II. Because she's just as iconic in her own right. At least they'll have more source material with that one. =)
WATCH THIS MOVIE. Seriously. It's amazing. As much as I liked Cate Blanchett's version, this one is even better. Helen makes a wonderful Elizabeth. She portrays the queen as a very strong woman, but with wants to be loved, to feel pretty, etc. like any other woman. You see her internal struggle between doing what is best for herself and doing what is best as queen. It's just fantastic. You lose Helen and you become totally invested in the character of Elizabeth. You want her to be happy with the Earl of Leicester. You want the Earl of Essex to not be a whiny boy who then betrays her, because you want her to be happy. And, not only that, but the costuming... wow. You get not only the iconic gowns with the giant crowns and collars you probably picture when you think "Elizabeth I", but they also took care to create sort-of "everyday working" looks for her that are still rich in texture but not as frufru. Because you know it'd be a giant pain in the ass to go around all day with a 2-foot collar sticking up off the back of your dress. And the set.... OMG. This being the kind of thing I want to do as my vocation the making of thing made me drool. They built the set in Lithuania in a stadium. The recreation of Whitehall castle was phenomenal. It was breathtakingly beautiful. And, in one scene in the second part, she literally starts at one mark, winds her way through the whole set, and ends up back at the same spot, so you see the whole thing. Gorgeous. *drool*
Anyway, the writing, the casting, everything: brilliant. Watch it. Oh, and keep an ear out for a few borrowed lines from Shakespeare. I was all, "Sneaky, but fair, considering they're of the same time. Maybe she's borrowing lines from plays he's already put on for her?" But then someone other than the Queen said another line and that went that notion. But it's a fun drinking game to play, nonetheless.
If you don't have HBO, I hope they put it out on DVD soon, because, DAMN.
Oh, and the coolest bit? They're doing another episode with Helen as Elizabeth II. Because she's just as iconic in her own right. At least they'll have more source material with that one. =)