"Last Orders" the movie is, if anything, better than "Last Orders" the book. For a start you can keep track of the characters. It's interesting for anyone studying good looks. Whereas Michael Caine, Bob Hoskins and Tom Courtenay never traded much on their looks, David Hemmings had the blazing eyes back in the ’60s when he played Nolan in
"The Charge Of The Light Brigade".
These days he looks like a man who's recently woken after a thirty year party.
There's a lot of flashback in "Last Orders". Nolan Hemmings, who is named after his father's character, plays Lenny as a young man. The young Helen Mirren is played by Kelly Reilly, who is photographed in such a way that she is actually distractingly beautiful. Helen Mirren is a powerfully attractive woman but you can't buy the idea that at the age of 19 she looked like this.
These days he looks like a man who's recently woken after a thirty year party.
There's a lot of flashback in "Last Orders". Nolan Hemmings, who is named after his father's character, plays Lenny as a young man. The young Helen Mirren is played by Kelly Reilly, who is photographed in such a way that she is actually distractingly beautiful. Helen Mirren is a powerfully attractive woman but you can't buy the idea that at the age of 19 she looked like this.
Sorry to the one who breaks the news to you, David, but David Hemmings died in 2003 - http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story/0,3604,1100256,00.html
ReplyDeleteTherefore, he will look, if anything, even worse.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tip. I see Ray Winstone's in it. One of my favourites.
ReplyDeleteI remember feeling slightly disappointed by 'Last Orders', both the book and the celluloid versions. It's such a good story, but neither seemed to do the synopsis the service it deserved...
ReplyDeleteYeah, but it was probably one hell of a thirty year party.
ReplyDeleteA friend met him when they were both contributing to one of Channel 4's "100 Best..." and had a drink with him. Said he was a top bloke.
I thought Last Orders was a marvellous film. Even with the DVD on the shelf, when BBC1 broadcast it a week or so back I found myself watching even though it was on too late.
Kelly Reilly wasn't so bad as a Young Mirren. I think they'd worked together on one of the Prime Suspects years before.
The actors they picked for the young Michael Caine and young Bob Hoskins were spot on I thought.
So, the powers that be decided that the young Helen Mirren should resemble Laura Ingalls out of "Little House On The Prairie", then?
ReplyDeleteFair enough.
Funny to hear that you thought Hemmings and his eyebrows were still alive and kicking. Can't help being reminded of the story recounted in Andrew Collins' last book about the DJ who was talking about the Bobfest tribute-to-Dylan gig in America and then added – "what a pity Bob Dylan isn't alive to enjoy it?" Is this brilliant anecdote true or apocryphal? Surely you, David, can put me out of my misery.
ReplyDelete