Helen Mirren exudes an irresistible sense of grace and sophistication no matter what she does, and maintains an otherworldly beauty through it all. With the release of "The Good Liar," I take a look at my five favorite Helen Mirren films.
**THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS**
#5
National Treasure: Book of Secrets
Before going full Nicolas Cage, Nicolas Cage re-vitalized his career with the "National Treasure" series, and Helen Mirren arrives for the sequel to play Cage's mother who assists him in finding the Presidential Book of Secrets that could clear the family name from being associated with the Lincoln assassination. Mirren gives an over-the-top performance that shows that she relished this type of simplistic role, and offers some great comedic moments.
#4
RED
Based off the DC Comics storyline, "RED" finds Helen Mirren acting alongside fellow veteran actors Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman and John Malkovich as retired agents who are hunted down for the secrets they know, but still remain RED - Retired Extremely Dangerous. Mirren blends a comedic performance with intense action sequences brilliantly, and there's just something about seeing her behind a sniper rifle and machine gun that's astonishing.
#3
Love Ranch
Based off the true story of Nevada's first legalized brothel, "Love Ranch" finds Helen Mirren playing the longsuffering wife and business partner Grace to Joe Pesci's philandering Charlie before conducting an affair with young boxing protege Bruza. Mirren classes up the film and offers another great performance that's effortless and simply Mirren.
#2
The Last Station
Playing Sofya Tolstoy, "The Last Station" finds Helen Mirren acting alongside Christopher Plummer as the famed author Leo Tolstoy and the battle over the rights to his literary legacy. Sofya wants the rights to go to her after his death, while his principle disciple (played by Paul Giamatti) believes it should go to the Russian people, and brings in a spy (James McAvoy) to prove Sofya's insanity. Mirren again dominates the screen with her elegance, wit, and sometimes pure delightful nuttiness to the project.
#1
The Queen
The film that earned Helen Mirren ALL the awards (including her first Academy Award), "The Queen" tells the story of the Queen of England after the death of Princess Diana and the aftermath that occurred. Mirren portrays royal, regal elegance with simplicity, effortlessly performing with sophistication and a stoic nature that the Queen epitomizes, and has become her most well-known and respected performances.
Major Theatrical Releases May 2019 After the hype that is "Avengers: Endgame," May offers a massive collection of differing types of movies, enough to entertain everyone. Here are the major theatrical releases for May 2019. **THERE WILL BE NO SPOILERS** **DATES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE** The Intruder May 3 Dennis Quaid goes from starring the family-friendly "A Dog's Journey" to playing a total psycho in "The Intruder." When a young couple purchases a home from Quaid's character Charlie, they didn't realize it came with an addition - Charlie himself, who can't seem to let his old home go. I don't expect any twists or turns in this tale, and this looks like a film better fit for Lifetime than the big screen. Long Shot May 3 Charlize Theron stars as Charlotte Field, the current Secretary of State and who's running for President. Seth Rogen stars as Fred Flarsky, a
Witch Starring Russell Shaw, Ryan Spong, Sarah Alexandra Marks, Fabrizio Santino Directed by Craig Hinde & Marc Zammit Movies about witches are about a dime a dozen, and follow the same formula: typically set in a time period long ago (since now, fortunately, the stigma of witches has been lessened and the religious fervor has diminished), in a small Puritanical town, a girl is accused of witchcraft which spirals the town into a frenzy filled with suspicion, doubt, and murder until the witch is put to religious justice. While that's not necessarily a bad formula (Robert Eggers' "The VVitch" and Mario Bava's "Black Sunday" immediately come to mind), most films fall by the wayside. "Witch" is a small film that, at first glance, seems to follow the mold before completely shattering it in a second act twist that's daring, provocative, and works in a lot of levels, but could've been more pronounced if given a bigger budget. In the small
Special Review: "Midwest Sessions" Directed by Mario Ricciardi Independent filmmaking is a fascinating concept, wherein the director and everyone involved sets out to make something unique, different, and go against the traditional status quo of what's defined as a "blockbuster." These films aren't usually seen by the masses and won't be included in the top ten highest grossing movies of all time, but they offer something those films don't: a heart and commitment by the people involved to craft something wholly distinctive that tell a story in their own way. Such is "Midwest Sessions," a local film directed by Mario Ricciardi that centers on the city of Youngstown, Ohio, and the captivating people who live there. Told in different vignettes that seem distinct and different from one another but coming together as a whole in the end, it's an engrossing film that utilizes its shoestring budget and gives great performances, decent effects a
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