I've seen two movies this week - two! There are some years when I don't see that many. (I know. I suck. I am out of touch with mainstream culture.) I enjoyed both movies, but in very different ways.
The first movie I saw was 300. The good: the movie looked absolutely gorgeous. I was also impressed with the pacing, considering the movie was all action. The not-so-good: the depiction of the Persians...um...there could have been much better judgment employed there. Also not a very good representation of women in Spartan culture. Am I the only one who wanted to scream "Just say Thermopylae!"? And am I the only person who thinks chocolate instead of king when hearing the name Leonidas?
The second movie I saw was The Queen. Better late than never, that's what I say. This was a great movie, with amazing performances not only by Helen Mirren, but also by Michael Sheen, who played Tony Blair. I am not much interested in celebrity and seldom have sympathy for celebrities, who know the life they choose. But to be born into a life of scrutiny, all duty and no time for self? It is not a life I would choose for myself. I found this movie to be an insightful love-letter to the Queen, while also showing the royal family at its weakest.
Hmm...maybe I should try to make it three movies this week. Hmm...
4 comments:
Some day I'm going to write a pro-Persian novel about that era, just because the SF world is full of smug Spartan worshippers.
(That era, being the 300 one, obviously, although a pro-Persian one about the reign of QE2 might be interesting. I suppose it would mostly be about Mossadegh and the CIA.)
I wasn't expecting a great deal from "The Queen," but found it to be just as entertaining as you did ... I'm glad Dame Mirren took home the Oscar, though Dame Dench's thoroughly terrifying performance in "Notes on a Scandal" was at least its equal
I didn't see "Notes on a Scandal," but I have heard nothing but good things about it. My usual inclination is to see big budget, special effects heavy movies, but I must admit there was something very nice about plain ol' good acting on the screen in "The Queen."
David, I'm sure that the reigns of Darius and Xerxes would be fascinating to write about. Perhaps you could write about the "no-slave" policies and get the bad memories from 300 out of the SF world.
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