2 British...ish Movies
Yay!! Jerry is going to do another Movie Post! Okay, that's just what I want everyone to say, this post will probibly be like the last post where no one comments on it, so really I'm just doing this for me.
Stage Beauty (2004)
Cast Highlights:
Claire Danes
Billy Crudup
Rupert Everett
Based on a Play by Jeffrey Hatcher
Here's a movie that was so right up my alley! It stars the beautiful and talented Claire Danes, it deals with British Theatre, and it's time period is 1660's. JACKPOT!
Ned Kynaston (Billy Crudup) was considered one of the most beautiful women in all of London, according to Samuel Pepys (Hugh Bonneville). As a large majority of us know, in 1600's England the only actors there were, were men. So yeah, Romeo and Juliet, to fags kissing, talk about rockin!! Ned's dresser, Maria(h) (Claire Danes) aspires to be an actress. She spends her time standing in the wings watching and duplicating Ned's actions on stage. We first see Ned playing the role of Desdemona in the famous death scene. Ned's fame is such, that people applaud his acting MID death scene! Off stage, Ned's public wishes to see him, but he will only receive them while dressed as a woman. Ned is invited to a party and decides to go. Maria asks Ned for an advance on her pay, 6 shillings. She uses this to go and act the part of Desdemona on another stage. While Ned is en' route to the party, he is molested in a way by the two women who had come to fawn over him. After he is kicked out of their carriage, he is propositioned by a man. In this time, Maria has finished acting and returned back to the theatre to help Ned out of his costume.
The news of an actual woman acting on stage travels fast, and Ned catches wind of it, thinking it's nothing he shrugs it off. At a party that is hosted by King Charles II (Rupert Everett) Ned discovers the actress was his dresser Maria. After the persuasion of his "girl friend" King Charles allows women to act on stage, not only that, he makes it illegal for men to portray women. Putting Ned out of a job.
The facts of this movie are mixed right in with absolute fiction. Ned Kynaston did actually exist; he was mentioned by Samuel Pepys in his diaries. This film takes on some interesting themes. I've seen a lot of people mention that it's a lot like Shakespeare In Love. But really, it's not! Shakespeare In Love didn't take on the sexual and gender mixing, as this movie does. It's also, surprisingly funny. I really suggest anyone who is involved with Theatre needs to see this movie.
Stardust (2007)
Cast Highlights:
Claire Danes
Michelle Pfeiffer
Robert De Niro
Rupert Everrett
Based on a Novel by Neil Giaman
This movie is just beautiful! It's one of those movies, much like Princess Bride, that's hard to put in a specific category. It's funny, it's dramatic, it's romantic, it's fantasy, there's some action. I dare say it's this generations Princess Bride.
Dustan Thron lives in the small English village of Wall, named for the stone wall that is just outside of town. This wall has a hole that is guarded at all times. No one is allowed to go on the other side of the wall. The reason being, the other side of the wall is a magical world. Dustan makes it across the wall, sleeps with a slave girl, and goes home. Nine months later, he is brought something that was left for him at the wall. His son Tristan (Charlie Cox). Jump forward 18 years, Tristan is trying to woo the most beautiful girl in the village Victoria (Sienna Miller who's British accent is actually pretty damn good). While Tristan surprised Victoria with champagne they see a falling star. Victoria tells Tristan that she will marry him, if he brings back that fallen star. We learn that the fallen star is not some hunk of rock, but the very beautiful Yvaine (Claire Danes). Tristan is not the only after Yavine, a witch, Limia (Michelle Pfeiffer), is after her for youth. A Prince, Secundus (Ruppert Everrett) is also after Yavine, but for the ruby that knocked her out of the sky.
Like I said before, it's such a good movie, and I really don't want to say more, for fear of ruining it for everyone else. I strongly recommend it to everyone I know.
So, If you couldn't tell, I really have a thing for Claire Danes. I think she's one of the most talented young actresses of our time. Plus, for a woman with no breasts to speek of, she's done pretty well for herself. But that doesn't matter, because damn she's hot!