Lady Jane

Note: Since I know all of you really don’t want to here another review of Batman and Robin or Lost World, and alas, My Best Friend's Wedding is yet to be released, I have decided that this would be an ample opportunity to promote my all time favorite movie, which will give the film more of the attention that it deserves and give you, (wonderful readers of this webzine that you are,) an opportunity to see where your humble movie critic is coming from.

I first saw Lady Jane when I was school kid and passionate about the English Renaissance. You don't have to be a history buff however, to love this enthralling movie. Released in 1985, the film tells the tragic, true story of Lady Jane Grey; a sheltered sixteen year-old member of the nobility who came to rule pre-Elizabethan England for nine days. Helena Bonham-Carter (A Room with a View, Howard’s End) plays the determined young women who finds herself tangled in a web of political and religious maneuverings that lead to her marriage to an ill-mannered son of a English lord and as well as her brief rule of England. Several years before his memorable role as Westley in The Princess Bride, a young Cary Elwes played Jane’s husband Guildford Dudley, who was an odious youth that drank heavily, started tavern brawls and was only a little less displeased on learning of his engagement to Jane, than she was herself. It was a time when children had little control over their futures and Jane's parents and other power-seekers saw her as only a puppet to sit on the throne while they pulled the strings. By the time Jane received the crown however, the unexpected had happened: Guildford and Jane had fallen in love and in each other, they found the strength to remained untarnished and free from controlled.

Of all love stories I have ever seen, I would venture to say that this is the most moving and bitter sweet. Though the movie may have been intended as merely a historical drama and a political and religious commentary, the true nature of the real life individuals shines through. This makes it a love story uncommon in its honesty and poignancy. From their love, Jane and Guilford found the strength to face the manipulative forces of their parents, the governing of a country and the tragic consequences of their short lived reign. Bonham-Carter and Elwes play the two lovers with an emotional intensity that has the viewer quivering with joy and rage as the events in the character’s lives unfold and their supporting cast, which includes Patrick Stewart (as in Captain Picard), is equally superb.

Filmed in England with a set as breathtaking as the story, this movie is a must see. Be sure to keep the Kleenex handy however, because it's a real tearjerker. I’ve seen it seven times and cried every time. I’m still not sure how the film slipped past the eyes of the critics twelve years ago, but it's definitely worth a couple hours of your time on a Friday night. It’s a rare film, so if your video store doesn’t have it, ask them to get it. Then write me back and tell me what you think.

Till next time, Cheerio!

GRACE

For more Information on Jane Grey I suggest this site:
Lady Jane Grey: Queen of England for Nine Days

Film Credits:

Lady Jane
Columbia Tristar Pictures (1985)
Producer: Peter Snell
Director: Trevor Nunn
Costumes: Dave Perry and Sue Blane
Music: Steven J Oliver
Screenwriter: Chris Bryant and David Edgar
Lady Jane Grey: Helena Bonham-Carter
Guildford Dudley: Cary Elwes
John Dudley: John Wood
Dr Feckenham: Sir Michael Horden
Frances Grey: Sara Kestelman
Henry Grey: Patrick Stewart
Princess Mary: Jean Lapotaire
King Edward VI: Warren Saire

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