Painted Lady

This movie is totally worth watching, buying and keeping. Helen Mirren is just extraordinary and the plot is outstanding. You'll be caught in the plot from start to finish in one of the most intriguing and exciting mysteries ever put on the screen. Magnificent!

Another knockout performance by Helen Mirren as a down and out '60s folk singer who, in order to help the family that took her in, goes undercover as an art dealer. Mirren, of course, does the transition from drugged-out hippie throwback to a glamorous woman of the world perfectly in this intriguing and very exciting story. Iain Glen as Sebastian is charismatic and wonderful, as is the entire cast. Probably the best part of this mini-series is Mirren, as Maggie, interacting with her sister and brother-in-law. The family dynamics hit a perfect note. This is a must-see on all levels - acting, drama and suspense with warmth and humor thrown in. Mirren is not only a great actress but one with impeccable taste when it comes to many of the scripts that have been produced and shown in the U.S. on public television. Bravo!

Maggie Sheridan, a semi-retired singer, is the first to find the body of Charles Stafford, a war veteran who is like a father to her.

When it is apparent that Stafford was killed during a robbery, people stealing artworks from his home, Maggie goes to all lengths to find the killer of Charles, and to buy back the one painting that the robbers got away with. She travels to London to see her half-sister Suzie and brother-in-law Oliver, and eventually travels to New York under a fake name and passport, becoming an unscrupulous Polish art dealer named Megdalena Krasinska, and there, finds out more than she bargained for...

The twists and turns in this film's plot, as well as the gritty portrayal of the illegal art world make this an excellent film in the thriller and drama genres. The plot is full of suspense and tension, yet full of lovely, friendly, fun, realistic characters at the same time.

Helen Mirren in this film is at her best since Prime Suspect (or so the trailer says - but I don't know if I can rate all her perfect performances like that), and Franco Nero is hypnotically appealing as the Italian-but-living-in-New-York dealer, Roberto Tassi.

And now, hoping that you will take my advice and go hire this if you can, I leave you with my favorite quote from the whole movie:

[Oliver Peel returns home from work(?)to hear 'Wild Thing' playing incredibly loudly on his stereo. Unbeknown to him Maggie has been given keys to their home by her sister Suzie, his wife. He walks into another room and then reappears, weilding a cricket bat above his head...he pounds up the stairs, throws open the bathroom door and... ...there is Maggie, lying in the bath, hair all wrapped up in a towel, completely naked, smoking a ciggarette...]

Maggie: Good match?

Oliver (lowing the bat): Rain stopped play.

10 out of 10!!!!!!!!!!

Helen Mirren is always a joy to watch as she gets her chops around a part. I think she had fun here tramping skillfully through several cultures, costumes, and accents. It looks like she can sing, too. The Irish bit got lost along the way, however. The house and scenery are great wherever we are. And there are some pretty good supporting players on the trip. I think the writing on the initial screenplay sounds like it was good, from the featurette on the DVD, but somewhere along the road, either in the directing or the editing perhaps, something essential got lost. My willing suspension of disbelief went with it. Nice try, sort of fun to watch, except for Nero, who should burn with shame for his hamfisted acting. Why would Helen ever fall for him?!

"Painted Lady" is a 3.5 hour, two part miniseries made for Masterpiece Theater and featuring Helen Mirren as Maggie, a down and out and aging ex-druggie/blues singer who inhabits a cottage on the Ireland estate of a well-to-do friend. When her friend is murdered, Maggie makes an unlikely transformation as she turns herself into a countess, enters the world of classical painting treasures, and sets about to bring the killer to justice. A cozy mystery with a whiff of sex and drugs but nary a harsh word spoken, this typical Masterpiece Theater TV fare is a mildly entertaining watch which keeps moving as it becomes increasingly convoluted. On the downside, Mirren is much too sagacious and elegant for a down and out blues singer and the warm and fuzzy milieu fits the intended audience better than the story. On the upside, this Mirren tour de force and tale of intrigues in the world of art is captivating, engrossing, and sufficiently substantiative to keep the viewer involved for the long haul. Recommended for more mature viewers and those who enjoy the very civilized Masterpiece Theater fare. (B)