The Queen And Di

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Helen Mirren in "The Queen"
courtesy of Disney Home Entertainment

"The Queen and Di"

Helen Mirren won an Oscar for her role as Queen Elizabeth in the movie "The Queen." Now that film is out on DVD and you can see why she really was entitled to the Award. She is one of the world's best actresses and she proves it once more with her role in this movie.

The film deals with the period of time surrounding the tragic death of Princess Diana. Michael Sheen plays Prime Minister Tony Blair and James Cromwell plays Prince Philip. They all combine their talents to present an interesting but balanced look at the monarchy today and the effect Diana's death had on the public's view of it.

The film starts with Blair having been elected Prime Minister and he and his wife Cherie (Helen McCrory) being taken to his first meeting with the Queen. The formality and protocol come across as a little stuffy, which is a problem many people have with the monarchy.

Later the news is received of Diana's death. The Queen and the royal family retreat to Balmoral Castle where they are isolated from the public. Since Diana was no longer a member of the royal family they do not intend to make any official statement. This is where things get a little sticky between Blair and the Queen. He definitely feels a statement of some sort should be made and recommends it.

There is also the issue of what type of funeral should be held. This is another tricky point in the talks between Blair and the Queen. Her advisors, especially Philip and the Queen Mum (Sylvia Syms), opt for low key while Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) pushes for more royal involvement.

All of the actors are first rate and the movie entertains and informs. Mirren reigns supreme and so does her film. Check it out.

"Déjà Vu" is also in stores. It is a good movie but not a great one but anything that stars Denzel Washington is worth seeing Back in the forties there was a movie titled "Laura" (remember the song?). It starred Dana Andrews as a police detective investigating the murder of a woman named Laura, played by Gene Tierney. He becomes obsessed with her even though she is dead. "Deja Vu" follows a similar theme and watching it is like having "Laura" déjà vu.

Doug Carlin (Washington) is an ATF agent in New Orleans. He is called into help investigate a horrific explosion on a ferryboat which kills over five hundred people. It is thought to be the handiwork of a terrorist. The link appears to be a woman whose body washed up on shore a few hours before the explosion. Her name is Claire (Paula Patton) and Carlin becomes obsessed with her.

Carlin also discovers a government agency, headed up by a man named Pyzwarra (Val Kilmer), that has discovered a way to observe the past. He works with them in trying to use the past to identify the terrorist who bombed the ferry. He also wants to know who murdered Claire.

All of this is handled matter of factly and adds immense fun to the viewing. None of it really makes any sense but if "The Prestige" could use a wild theory and still be fun, so can "Déjà Vu." The movie is fast moving and exciting, plus Washington and Patton are perfectly cast as the obsessed lovers. So what's to complain about? There's a lot of fun and romance in "Déjà vu."

Drugs and drama are the core of Jean Claude Van Damme's new film, now out on DVD - "Until Death." In this flick Van Damme plays a detective who is an addict trying to arrest addicts. He also has problems on the home front as his wife is pregnant and he doesn't think the child is his. Talk about your bad days.

Van Damme is still a take charge guy in the movies and still has a strong core base of fans. They are why he keeps turning out this action packed movies. Watch "Until Death" and cheer him on.

Finally there is "Kidnapped: The Complete Series." This DVD includes all thirteen episodes of this TV series that never found its audience. On DVD you can appreciate the performances of Timothy Huttton, Dana Delaney, Delroy Lindo and Jeremy Sisto as they work to bring to life the story of a family facing a horrible kidnapping.

There is suspense and drama in this series that deserved a better fate than the one the network handed it. If you want to see it all, and see it without any interruptions then this DVD set is for you. Here are also behind the scenes extras to add to your viewing pleasure.

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