Judi Dench is one of those actresses that really can take on any role. Strong and dramatic in the bond movies, but great and funny in tv like As time goes by. I think of her as an all rounder due to her seemingly able to turn her hand to any role and is a great asset to british actresses. She is not overly showy and is not one to make a huge fuss like some. For her parts she looks great dressed up or down.She appears to age gracefully unlike some in hollywood where botox & surgery are the norm.The fact that not many do tv as well as film makes her all the more great in my book.
Who would have thought in the days of A fine Romance that this unasuming person would have such a fantastic career in both tv and movies. I loved the 'not quite' romance between her and the landscape gardener and the shyness with which they had to overcome in their relationship but she had plenty more talents just stored away. One of her finest performances in my opinion was in Mr Brown. She played queen victora to Billy Connelly's Mr Brown and she was amazing. She had great dignity and poise whilst having such a vulnerable and sad side. I touching and lovely film. She has also been excellent in her small roles in the James Bond movies as M. She plays a strong, tough woman, nothing like the roles in Fine Romance and As time Goes By, where she played bossy but gentle, mumsy women. In ladies in lavender she also played an older woman enchanted by a younger man who visits them. A change from her usual roles and a chance for her to prove that she can tackle a multitude of characters with style.
Apparently Bette Davis was absolutely devastated that she didn't win a third best actress Oscar for her role as Margo Channing, the aging grand dame of the New York stage. It's one of the great ironies of movie history, because in All About Eve, Bette gives what many regard as her finest and most towering performance. However, it's not only Davis that anchors this remarkable film, but the biting performances of all the cast. The performances, combined with the witty, acerbic dialogue, and the gorgeous production design, leave absolutely no room for doubt that All About Eve is one of the best Hollywood films ever made.
The modest plot - which is merely a framework for showcasing the characters agendas and highlighting the script's glittering dialogue - revolves around the journey of Eve Harrington (Anne Baxter) as she climbs from struggling Broadway actress to scintillating star. The story is told in flashback from an awards ceremony for Eve wherein various participants tell us in confidence about the guest of honor.
The most honored film of all-time, BEN-HUR (1959) won eleven of the twelve Academy Awards for which it was nominated -- and deservedly so. More than just an almost-four hour long Roman spectacle of pomp and pageantry, BEN-HUR has become known as an "intimate epic" -- that is, a film that doesn't lose sight of its characters and their personal struggles amidst its large-scale production values and grandeur. It is a spectacle; it is entertainment; and therein lies the film's initial attraction. But the human drama of the characters, their struggle with each other and with themselves, makes BEN-HUR a picture worth more than the sum total of all its sets, costumes and special effects. It is a story of a man, and therein lies its eternal appeal.
Ben Hur, a Tale of the Christ, was hugely popular as a novel, a play and two movies. It was written in a less vulgar time about a very spiritual event. Seen today by moviegoers addicted to constant action and low frequency effects, it will seem ponderous, slow and pretentious. Well, it is a little. You have to pay attention to the dialogue or you won't get it at all. Some of the intimate scenes aren't all that great. Anyone that really pays attention can tell the sea battle is done with miniatures. It's still worth watching. As everyone ought to know by now, the chariot race is one-of-a-kind; nothing else comes close to that real live race where the main actors actually raced most of the time. I just watched this movie after lapse of about 10 years. I still enjoyed it. The sea battle is still fun even if you know the boats are about as big as a man. The few moments which have Christ on the screen are still moving. Just about all of the acting is good with only a few forgettable moments. Just be ready to spend about 4 hours in front of the screen listening to occasionally flowery dialog.
