Tom Jolliffe looks at the essential Helen Mirren films…
A British Icon, Mirren has been working since the 60’s and has an array of cult films under her belt, as well as a consistent recognition from the major awards. Never less than stellar, Mirren is an inspiration to aspiring actors. She’s successfully jumped between indie, arthouse and mainstream, across several continents. She’s not just recognised in her native Britain, but has a solid reputation in the States too.
So here, is my essential Helen Mirren films:
Excalibur
John Boorman’s definitive film version of the King Arthur legend (note to Guy Ritchie, yours isn’t the definitive I’m afraid). This grandiose, dark and grimy (if flawed) tale looks great and has a top cast. Despite being a tale that has often found an audience with younger readers, or viewers (the Disney take was excellent), Excalibur is a decidedly brawny and adult take, complete with savage violence, nudity and sexuality. There are some fantastic battles in this.
Two people steal this film. On the one hand you have Nicol Williamson as Merlin, a sort of wry and eccentric Obi-Wan Kenobi. On the other you have Mirren as Morgana. She’s amazing in this, defying her former teacher and orchestrating the uprising against Arthur.
Savage Messiah
Ken Russell’s divisive career has seen him flit between critical acclaim and utter derision. He’s made films considered under appreciated works of art and films considered to be the epitome of low brow, exploitative trash. Savage Messiah was one of his more interesting works. This, a biopic about French Sculptor Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, brought Mirren into the limelight. Her most memorable part of the film happens to be her walking around naked. Not for the first time in her career, nor the last. Mirren would firmly establish a somewhat nonchalant attitude to clothing in her films. Though when you look over her career, and those films in particular there’s a consistency about the quality of those films. Whilst Russell of course, in some regards like Michael Winner, had a reputation about exploiting the female form for titillation in some of his work, Savage Messiah is one of his more highly regarded works, and Mirren has rarely whapped ‘em out in anything less than worthy.
The Long Good Friday
This is simply iconic. One of the finest British Gangster films ever made. It’s impeccable. The film looks great, has gripping action, memorable lines and dramatic punch. The ending alone is exquisite.
Bob Hoskins gave a career best performance as Harold, a London gangster on his rise and fall. Helen Mirren is just as good as Victoria, his wife. It’s a complex and powerful performance by Mirren that goes beyond being a simple gangsters moll. It’s that typical complexity we’ve come to expect from an actress who can take a role that could be two-dimensional, and create a fully formed character. This has always been a particularly popular genre in British cinema, but if you look back historically there are very few interesting female roles within the Brit Gangster film. Mirren is one exception.
The Cook, The Thief, His Wife And Her Lover
Peter Greenaway’s odd, compelling and engrossing erotic drama features stunning visuals, a fantastic score from Michael Nyman and a rip-roaring, scenery chomping, tour-de-force performance by Michael Gambon as the titular Thief. Helen Mirren, his wife, is understated, considered and complex. It’s a great, committed and naked (in every way) performance.
This isn’t an easy film to hook into. If it’s not your cup of tea, then it may all go over your head. Greenaway even among art-house audiences was divisive. In fairness this would probably rank as his most accessible. Visually it’s resplendent.
The Queen
Stephen Frears directed this unexpectedly gripping account of the Queen’s response to the death of Princess Diana. Across the years the Royal family have been the subject of much speculation. Given the somewhat reclusive nature of them privately, that’s understandable, and in particular there have always been rumours about how the Queen (and Philip) saw Diana.
On the surface, woman dies, ex mother-in-law reacts, doesn’t sound like a thrilling prospect but Frears’ dramatically sensitive direction and Mirren’s wonderful performance (adding a layer of humility to a figure we largely see in short speeches, waving off a balcony or on your pocket change) make this essential. Playing such an icon is often deadly ground (ask Naomi Watts after portraying Diana) but Mirren, shortly after she’d played Elizabeth I for a TV mini-series (amazingly…again), plays Elizabeth II with grace, dignity and poignancy. She deservedly won an Oscar.
Red
This wasn’t the best film on Mirren’s CV by any measure, but it’s an entertaining action thriller. The cast is superb all round, even able to rouse an unusually committed performance from a post-millennium Bruce Willis. Morgan Freeman, Mary Louise-Parker and John Malkovich are all typically good.
What marks this as essential Mirren is the vigour and surprisingly badass approach she has to her character. Mirren kicks ass and totes a machine gun in a way even Schwarzenegger would approve of. All the while offering typical grace, depth and deftness of comical touch.
Calendar Girls
Okay I’ll admit it. I like this film. It’s a great piece of work from all involved. Based on the compelling and touching true story of a group of post-middle aged WI members who decide to do a nude calendar to raise money for a cancer charity. Mirren is ably supported by Julie Walters (also always nothing short of amazing), Celia Imrie, Penelope Wilton and Annette Crosbie.
For the actresses involved, and at their age, it was a decidedly brave decision to take on said roles, given the nudity involved (though never explicit). It was however, great to see a female-centric, age is no barrier themed film to shake up the film industry a bit. Whilst it didn’t have a hugely lasting effect, I suppose something like Calendar Girls paved the way for films like The Exotic Marigold Hotel. The cast are all superb and Mirren, playing the sassy one of the group has fun, further proving a great gift to flit between drama and comedy, light and dark. She’d struggle to add any more strings to her bow that’s for sure.
Teaching Mrs. Tingle
This is the weakest film in the list. In fact it’s not particularly great as a whole. This has its moments but an ordinary central cast don’t quite offer enough in this black comedy (that is never quite funny enough).
However…Helen Mirren is fantastic. She makes for a delightfully hiss worthy villain, very much in the Nurse Ratchet mould. She’s having a lot of fun but also gives it enough ferocity that it’s not overly comical. As per normal, Mirren is able to comfortably add a dimension that may not be there under an actress without her gravitas. The film is worth watching for her performance alone.
Let us know your favourite Mirren films in the comments below.
Tom Jolliffe
