Movie Updates

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel passes $100 million worldwide which is wonderful for Maggie and the rest of the cast and crew as the mean age of the principle cast-members is probably about 55 (lol) and huge box office wasn't expected in the slightest. I did see the film, it wasn't amazing but it was a nice, quite funny and sincere movie. Dench was at the top of her game.

As for 'Quartet', the Dustin Hoffman directed film starring Maggie along with Michael Gambon, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins (Shirley Valentine) was in development hell for YEARS and finally was filmed last year and was picked up a couple of months ago by the Weinstein Co., who are responsible for many Oscar related film distributions and campaigns and it looks like they have seen potential from Maggie and the gang. Could we possibly see the Dame at the Oscars again this year? Hmmm...

Also season 3 of Downton Abbey begins soonish I believe, to be honest I am kind of over it after the dreadful second season, and Maggie's awfully thin character. But Shirley Maclaine is in the first two episodes and some bitchiness is expected to go down between the two broads, haha.

# 4: Quartet (1981)

Maggie Smith

as Lois Heidler

in

Quartet (1981)

Screentime: 25 minutes and 0 seconds (25.5% of the film)

Quartet is a pre-A Room with a View Mechant-Ivory production that is set in 1920s Paris where four individuals become involved in a rather unorthodox manner; Marya (Isabella Adjani) is recently dealing with her husband Stefan (Anthony Higgins) being sentenced to imprisonment when a middle aged high society couple H.J and Lois Heidler (Alan Bates and Maggie Smith) decide to help her and let her in a guest in their home. Infidelity eventuates and Marya is torn between her strange yet new extravagant life and the old one sitting in a tiny prison cell. 

The general look and production design is fantastic, and the era costumes worn by the principles are equally as impressive. Also Isabelle Adjani gives a great leading performance and won the Best Actress award at the Cannes film festival. The progression of the story however is rather limited and stale, but I feel a rather specific taste in film/storytelling is required for viewing Merchant-Ivory films.

FILM:

This was Maggie’s follow up role after her second Oscar win, and she was nominated for a BAFTA and she gives quite a wonderful supporting role. Lois is a rather tragic character that develops a strong maternal attachment to Adjani’s character, while she quite disturbingly accepts her husband’s philandering with her.  I might add Maggie looked incredibly photogenic and beautiful in the film. I also feel if distribution was better at the time or more money was behind the film, Adjani (who was particularly brilliant in the film's 10 minute finale) and Smith could have gotten Oscar nominations for their performances.

MAGGIE METER:




"I hate people who try to get by with nothing but their sensitivity."