in which Imelda Staunton's awesomeness is acknowledged

[boxofdelights]

So today Neal and I watched the second half of Vera Drake. When I watch movies by myself I take a lot of breaks; Neal likes to watch a whole movie in one sitting. We try to accommodate each other when we watch together, but Vera Drake is so emotionally intense I paused it four minutes before the end. "I don't want to watch what comes next," I said.

Neal got up and cleared the dishes. "Do you know what happens?"

"I have a strong suspicion. Do you know where else you've seen her? The actor who plays Vera?"

"Did you recognize her or look her up?"

"I recognized her. She looks just the same. But she *is* pretty much the opposite."

After a few questions, Neal narrowed it down to someone in the Harry Potter movies, but he still couldn't place her. "Was she one of the teachers? Not Sprout?"

"Who would be the opposite of Vera Drake?"

His eyes widened. "No! Oh my God!"

"Yes!"

"I was going to say, she's a really good actor, the way she went from that bubbly, cheerful busybody to this picture of misery in *this* movie, but--"

"Isn't she awesome? Okay. Let's go watch Dolores Umbridge throw herself off a high place."

Comments

[oursin]

I think I first saw her onstage at the National Theatre, as Miss Adelaide the Famous Fiancee in Guys and Dolls. Yes, she's got range!

[twistedchick]

She's also the fluffy wife of Hugh Laurie in Sense and Sensibility.

[boxofdelights]

And in Peter's Friends!

[isis]

Hee, and I remember her from the BBC miniseries Cranford!

[laughingrat]

I should really try that movie. It sounds upsetting, but good?

[bcholmes]

Have you seen Another Year? Also a Mike Leigh film (Imelda Staunton has a small cameo part in it). Like Vera Drake, it develops this very strong sense of who these characters are and then lets the story unfold from there.