A beautiful collision of talents. Deborah Moggach is best known as a novelist ('These Foolish Things' was adapted as The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel) and her approach was to make Elizabeth the focus, remove scenes that didn't feature her or were of less importance, and to present it realistically - 'with the girls really young, no make-up, same dresses every day'. Emma Thompson also wrote some of it, including the very ending, which was removed from the UK release as considered too schmaltzy but is present on the Blu-Ray - it works for me.
Joe Wright received the BAFTA Carl Foreman award for most promising newcomer (TV series - like Charles II: The Power & The Passion, written by My Week With Marilyn's Adrian Hodges - his only former credits) and it's a very confident and visual approach, beautifully illustrated with cameraman Roman Osin constantly giving those little push-ins (tracks in but also I think with judicious use of a zoom lens) and Paul Tothill's marvellous editing. Dario Marianelli scored and the lovely production design and costumes are by Sarah Greenwood and Jacqueline Durran.
And what an incredible cast. Whilst admiring everything that was going on I was also playing a little game of 'When was the first time I took notice of this actor?' Donald Sutherland I guess from way back in Kelly's Heroes, then my first X film, MASH. Miss Knightley - Bend It Like Beckham. Must have been aware of Macfadyen, but wasn't a Spooks watcher, so In My Father's Den in 2010 may have been the first - must watch that again. Carey Mulligan and Rosamund Pike were both An Education, Brenda Blethyn Secrets and Lies. For Kelly Reilly I'm pretty sure it was L'Auberge Español, and Talulah Riley made an impression in the Marple, The Moving Finger. Recognised Claudie Blakely from Lark Rise and Rupert Friend from Mrs Palfrey at the Claremont. No idea about Dame Judi - I guess it must have been Room With a View - nor Tom Hollander. Jena Malone I'm not sure I still recognise!
With: Pip Torrens, Sylvester Morand, Simon Woods, Roy Holder, Peter Wight and Penelope Wilton.
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