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Mrs. BrownRating:
Release Date: 04 February, 2003 Retail Price: $14.99 OUR Price: $10.99 You SAVE: $4.00! Cast: Complete Cast (5 total) |
Mrs. Brown Reviews
Royalty, Romance & Running Naked Into Lochs
Everything you want in a historically-accurate period piece -- hidden emotions, devout loyalty, honor, biographical insight, and bits of quirky humor. Shot primarily in Scotland, in one of the lochs regions so remote and beautiful you can scarcely believe it still exists, the film does a great job of casting us back to the period, and the action flows so consistently that you'll never be bored. In the end, it also made me want to learn more about Mr. Brown and re-learn what little I knew about Disraeli.
The head of Britain's National Theatre once said of Dame Judi Dench, "When you talk about Judi, you unpack a suitcase full of superlatives." That's as true of her role in "Mrs. Brown" as of any other film or play of hers. She's great in this film, playing Queen Victoria with all the necessary pomposity, but also getting across the vulnerability of the old girl in a tremendously subtle and graceful performance that almost makes you feel you're watching the real person.
Then there's Billy Connolly as John Brown, the "common" Highlander gillie to whom Queen Victoria turned after three years of mourning her husband, Prince Albert, who died prematurely. Brown was known to be substantially more brusque and commanding, but also more gentle, with the Queen than anyone else around her was allowed to be. Connolly not only portrays that wonderfully, but being the hilarious comedian he is, also spikes the role with humor and spirit that we can only hope the original Brown actually possessed.
The DVD itself is fine, but this is one of the few times that I would have loved to see more about the making of the film. While I don't care about the period clothing or some of the other things that are often put on DVDs, the castles and the estates are intriguing and, with Billy Connolly as one of the stars, I would LOVE to see what must be hilarious outtakes from the film.
Great movie, terrible DVD
It is a shame the studio couldn't see fit to spend a little money on this DVD and clean up the picture quality. All through the film there are little scratches and blips, and the picture and sound quality are less than stellar. It was obviously a direct transfer from a used master.
Sad, because the film itself and all the performances are fascinating. Dench, as always, is nothing less than riveting, and the rest of the cast match her line for line. A great historical film, and still quite enjoyable despite the poor quality of the picture and sound. I would still recommend it for anyone with an interest in good drama, great acting, and English history.
More Customer Reviews (24 total)
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