THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 4, 1995 TAG: 9503040026
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Movie Review
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, MOVIE CRITIC
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
THERE IS NO question: The king is a little off. Those pesky Colonists, particularly those Virginians, have driven him crazy.
Royal-watching has long been a favorite pastime; seldom, though, has it been so entertainingly dramatized as in ``The Madness of King George,'' a delicate balance between farce and tragedy.
Much has been done about Henry V and Richard III, but the maladies of King George have escaped the dramatists. The new movie, whose title was changed from ``King George III'' (apparently because people might stay away because they would think they'd missed parts one and two), is based on Alan Bennett's play, which ran for three years in London and played briefly a year ago in Brooklyn.
In 1788, King George began suffering from bouts of porphyria, a disorder that led to dementia. His court went into a flurry to hide the fact; the film's comedic touches are provided by that obsession with maintaining decorum. Political intrigue is kept on the back burner in favor of more personal drama-comedy. Not since ``The Lion in Winter'' have royals sounded like such commoners.
The movie is a one-man show for Nigel Hawthorne, who is one of this year's Oscar nominees for best actor. His George is quite a survivor and not at all the doddering idiot you might expect. He knows the duties of royalty are to wave and smile, and he figures, despite feeling a bit poorly, that he can keep up the pretense. A veteran stage performer, Hawthorne won a Tony for ``Shadowlands,'' but lost the movie role to Anthony Hopkins.
Helen Mirren plays faithful Queen Catherine, who had 15 children with him. The couple make a surprisingly effective love-match. Mirren is a good deal prettier and more intelligent than the real queen, but it's probably more interesting that way. There is little in her performance, though, that merits her Oscar nomination.
The Prince of Wales, the king's overmatched and foppish son, is played by Rupert Everett, a veteran of such kinky, brooding roles. Ian Holm brings a delightful touch to the role of the stern doctor, who feels he must be tough with the king in order to bring about a ``cure.''
Nicolas Hytner, who directed ``Miss Saigon,'' ``Carousel'' and ``King George III'' in New York and London, has made a movie, not just a staged play. He has, however, retained scenes of delightful dialogue.
``The Madness of King George'' also received an Oscar nomination for costuming. Audiences will easily realize why.
A lack of focus keeps this from being a great film. Nonetheless, there are sights to behold - the king fleeing from his pursuing pages; the king demanding yet another chorus from the bell ringers while he refuses to let pregnant ladies-in-waiting sit down.
To his credit, Hawthorne plays madness with restraint. It's only when he hears the news from Yorktown that he goes really bananas. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
Nigel Hawthorne plays King George III.
MOVIE REVIEW
``The Madness of King George''
Cast: Nigel Hawthorne, Helen Mirren, Ian Holm, Amanda Donohoe,
Rupert Graves, Rupert Everett
Screenplay: Alan Bennett, based on his play
MPAA rating: Not rated (references to bodily functions and such)
Mal's rating: ***
Locations: Naro Expanded Cinema in Norfolk
by CNB