England trip on Twitter!

I will be in England for 2 weeks (leaving in a few days) and have decided to post photos on Twitter for anyone wishing to follow along. I will be seeing a few things related to period drama such as Kenwood House in Hampstead Heath above. As well as being the real home of Dido Belle Lindsay of the recent film Belle, it was dopy Mr. Rushworth's seat Sotherton in the1999 Patricia Rozema adaptation of Mansfield Park. It was also the setting for the scene in the film Notting Hill where Julia Roberts was filming a Henry James adaptation.

Ok, I am hardly excited at all. I will also be visiting Blenheim Palace, Winston Churchill's birthplace and as long as we are talking filming locations it was used for The Young Victoria, The Lost Prince and the new Kenneth Branagh Disney production of Cinderella starring Lily James (otherwise known as Lady Rose from Downton Abbey).Can't wait to take my niece to see that one!

So I will try to make my Twitter postings as visually appealing as possible and I promise not to Tweet any inanities! Feel free to make suggestions of places I should check out in London or in Oxfordshire/Buckinghamshire. Cheers!

@JAustenFilmClub 

P.S. I almost forgot to mention that I will be seeing Richard Armitage in The Crucible at The Old Vic Theatre in London. ;)

Mark Strong- Actor of the Week

Mark Strong in Lord Blackwood costume, smiling!

What a delight to find that I had not yet had Mark Strong as my Actor of the Week. I luuuuurve him and am so glad to be able to go back and review my faves of his films! Whether a good guy or a bad guy, he is always an asset to a film. Born Marco Giuseppe Salussolia in London England to an Italian father and an Austrian mother, his name was changed in childhood by his mother (after his father left) to help him fit in with his peers. Fluent in German, he studied at a University in Munich for a year with the intent of becoming a lawyer before pursuing an acting career in Britian.

Mark Strong as Mr. Knightley in Emma

OK here is my weak spot. I love all the Mr. Knightleys for different reasons. But just look at that furrowed brow on Mark Strong. Is he annoyed at Emma (Kate Beckinsale) or is he annoyed at himself for caring about her so much? He certainly brings out a different aspect of Knightley's character than either Jeremy Northam or Jonny Lee Miller. Sigh! Must watch this again soon. Next migraine day?

Mark Strong and Colin Firth in Fever Pitch

Another role of Mark Strong's that I adore is as Colin Firth's best mate in Fever Pitch. This one is from way back in 1997 and is set in 1989 so the fashions are an absolute hoot, but the story and the acting from these two men in particular make this my second fave Nick Hornby film just edged out by About A Boy. If you have ever had a sports mad male in your life, you need to see this film.

Mark Strong as Harry Starks in The Long Firm

After playing the psychotic 1960s gangster Harry Starks in The Long Firm he had no trouble convincing filmmakers that he could be a bad guy. It is truly amazing that until 2004 he had rarely been cast as anything sinister. And now I think we need to see more good guy roles. Because let's see what he has been in since 2004:

Mark Strong as Toby Crackit in Oliver Twist

In a small role as Toby Crackit (the accomplice of Bill Sykes) in Roman Polanski's Oliver Twist, he rather rocks the ginger fright wig and facial hair.

I won't put a photo of Syriana on this post as I turned it off when Mark Strong's character was pulling out fingernails. Nope. Wouldn't finish watching that one!

Mark Strong as Nick in Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

As oily 1930s nightclub owner Nick in Miss Pettigrew Loves for a Day, he is a much more fun bad guy. Oily and controlling, you love to hate him. A perfect role for Mark Strong.

Mark Strong as Sir John Conroy in The Young Victoria

Another wonderful bad guy role for Mark Strong is Sir John Conroy, the oppressive, social climbing comptroller to Queen Victoria's mother ( The Duchess of Kent) in The Young Victoria. Constantly scrapping with Emily Blunt who plays the young queen, he makes you hate him and yet feel sorry for him at the same time as he loses his control over the young Victoria. He apparently went to The National Portrait Gallery in London to see what Conroy looked like and was struck by the resemblance to himself. Would you like to see the real Sir John Conroy?

Sir John Conroy

The resemblance is striking isn't it? Mark Strong was born to play this character! You could swear that this was Mark and not the real Sir John Conroy.

Mark Strong as Lord Blackwood in Sherlock Holmes

If you have to have a bad guy in a film, why not make him as appealing as Lord Blackwood in Sherlock Homes? Mark Strong does bad and sexy sooooooo well!

Mark Strong as Sir Godfrey in Robin Hood

As Sir Godfrey in Robin Hood, an English knight collaborating with the French, Mark Strong gets a meaty role and does it well. Is it shallow of me to say I don't like him bald? I'm just sayin'!

Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux in Tinker Tailor

In Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, he plays the fascinating role of Jim Prideaux. This is an awesome film but very hard to follow if you haven't read the book. I recommend either reading the book or at least the Wikipedia entry for the book or film before you see it. To heck with spoilers, you need help just to follow the plot!

I couldn't get even half of the roles I would have liked on this post, so feel free to add your faves in the comments below. Any other Mark Strong fans out there?

Emily Blunt- Actor of the Week

Emily Blunt's career has been taking off in the last few years. First known to most of us as the scene stealing receptionist from The Devil Wears Prada, Emily has done many recent films, both period and modern.

Emily Blunt as Emily in The Devil Wears Prada

Emily: Andrea, my God! You look so chic.
Andy Sachs: Oh, thanks. You look so thin.
Emily: Really? It's for Paris, I'm on this new diet. Well, I don't eat anything and when I feel like I'm about to faint I eat a cube of cheese. I'm just one stomach flu away from my goal weight.

Emily Blunt as Prudie in The Jane Austen Book Club

As Prudie, the uptight French teacher who has never been to France, Emily gave emotional depth to the role of an unsatisfied married woman toying with having an affair with a student in The Jane Austen Book Club.

Prudie: Being the only child of a woman who gave birth in a commune after changing her name to Skygirl, I've come to loath hippie-handie crafts.

Emily Blunt as The Young Victoria

In The Young Victoria,  Emily Blunt is luminous as Queen Victoria at the beginning of her reign. As the young and headstrong monarch, we can forgive Emily for being so much taller and good looking than the real Queen Vicky. This is an incredibly well done film and the costumes and locations are to die for.

Queen Victoria: I am young, but I am willing to learn, and I mean to devote my life to the service of my country and my people. I look for your help in this. I know I shall not be disappointed. Thank you.

Jason Segal and Emily Blunt in Gulliver's Travels

I didn't see Gulliver's Travels which was released in 2010. A modern take on the classic tale, it stars Jack Black as Gulliver and Emily plays Princess Mary. It didn't get very good reviews which is too bad as with a cast like that it could have been really wonderful. Anybody else see this one? Is it a good one to see with the kids?

Matt Damon and Emily Blunt in The Adjustment Bureau

I found The Adjustment Bureau pretty edge-of-the-seat exciting. Emily Blunt plays Elise, a ballet dancer who is not supposed to meet or fall in love with Matt Damon's character David Norris, a politician. Of course, this is exactly what she does. And "The Adjustment Bureau" wants to fix that. Uh-oh!

Elise Sellas: Were you just looking at my legs while I slept?
David Norris: I was helpless against the dress.
Elise Sellas: It's a skirt.
David Norris: It's a belt! 

Emily Blunt with Ewan McGregor in Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen is one of my favourite flicks this year so far. I may have to purchase this one as I look forward to seeing it again with some DVD extras. Great chemistry between Emily and Ewan!

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We will see even more of Emily in the next little while. She has a film with Colin Firth coming out next year called Arthur Newman, Golf Pro. I wonder whether they will be donning American accents for that one! Any other films you have enjoyed Emily Blunt in? I loved her cameo in The Muppets as Miss Piggy's receptionist. Adorable! Here's to more films from the girl with the "sly eyes". Perhaps with her new hubby John Krasinski from The Office ???

Westminster Abbey in Film

Westminster Abbey at night

Westminster Abbey (recently announced as the church for the wedding of HRH Price William of Wales and Miss Catherine Middleton) has been used for Royal Weddings since King Henry I married Princess Matilda of Scotland in 1100.  Since then however, there have only been thirteen other royal weddings at the Abbey, including:

HM The Queen & Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN
On the 20 of November 1947, Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II), elder daughter of King George VI, was married to Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN (later Duke of Edinburgh).

King George VI & Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
On 26 April 1923, The Duke of York (later King George VI), second son of King George V, was married to Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon (later to become The Queen Mother).

Princess Margaret & Antony Armstrong-Jones
On 6 May 1960, Princess Margaret, second daughter of King George VI, was married to Antony Armstrong-Jones (later Earl of Snowdon).

Prince Andrew & Sarah Ferguson
On 23 July 1986, Prince Andrew, second son of Queen Elizabeth II, was married to Miss Sarah Ferguson.

Princess Anne & Captain Mark Phillips
On 14 November 1973, Princess Anne, only daughter of Queen Elizabeth II, was married to Captain Mark Phillips.

Nov 20 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten RN

Nov 14 1973 wedding of Princess Anne and Captain Mark Phillips

Although Westminster Abbey does allow filming at the Abbey, it is mostly for documentaries and historical programming.  Most dramatic films are forced to use another church as a stand in for Westminster.

Many people who watched The DaVinci Code are not aware that they had to use Lincoln Cathedral  for the interior shots of the Abbey, although the exterior shots did use Westminster of course.  Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire was also used in this film and is the site of the funeral and burial of Jane Austen in 1817, for you Jane Austen fans.



Another recent film, Stone of Destiny, a cute little flick based on fact, is about four young Scottish students in the 1950's who decide to steal the Stone of Scone from under the Coronation Chair at Westminster Abbey and repatriate it to Scotland.  (In 1296 the Stone had been captured by Edward I as spoils of war and taken to Westminster Abbey, where it was fitted into a wooden chair, known as King Edward's Chair, on which most subsequent English sovereigns have been crowned.)  The filmmakers had to use Paisley Abbey in Scotland for both interior and some exterior shots of Westminster Abbey. Of note: the Stone of Scone was returned to Scotland in 1996, where it is now kept.  However at future coronations the Stone will be returned briefy to St Edward's Chair for the moment of coronation.




Even The Young Victoria which had Sarah Ferguson involved as a Producer and had Princess Beatrice in a cameo role as a Lady in Waiting, couldn't use Westminster for interior shots.  Instead, Lincoln Cathedral was used to film the coronation of Queen Victoria.





I think many of us are looking forward to seeing the wedding of William and Kate on April 29, 2011 and I for one, will be glued to my TV set, just as I was 30 years ago for Charles and Diana's.  Good luck to them both!