There is nothing like a dame (Helen Mirren honored by Elizabeth II)

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Congratulations to Dame Mirren, one of the finest actresses Britain has ever known. She was superb in Gosford Park and The Madness of King George, but I think my personal favorite was her performance(s) in Lindsay Anderson's O Lucky Man! (ah, there's another film I wouldn't mind seeing on a Criterion DVD).

 

Shes also excellent in the Prime Suspect tv series. The Long Good Friday, Excalibur, Some Mother's Son, Last Orders, Door to Door, Mosquito Coast, etc etc are all examples of how good she is. I don't know if I would say the finest Britain has ever known but definitely among the top.

 

Yep, some good films mentioned already, but don't forget Savage Messiah (1972). Not only is this one of the very few watchable films that Ken Russell ever made, but it features a terrific performance by a (relatively) young Helen Mirren, and as if that wasn't enough she also gets her kit off. What more can you ask?

 

And what about The Cook, the Thief... A terrific and versatile actress, unafraid to show her body after the age of forty. My wife always enjoyed her performances, probably because she took good parts in good material, but until I showed her O Lucky Man on video she never understood my over the line infatuation with Ms. Mirren. Another relatively early film not mentioned was Cal.

 

Does no one remember The Shakspeare Plays series aired on PBS years ago? She played Orlando in As You Like It. Also 2010: The Year We Make Contact.