As Maggie, Mirren gives a standout performance. There’s one scene in a New York jazz club where she simply stares at the bar during a friend’s trumpet solo. You can just tell everything she’s thinking of just from her look. That scene right there is a perfect example of why Dame Mirren is so celebrated as an actress. Even in what could have been a simple throwaway role, she gives a subtle yet amazing performance.
The film has a number of songs supposedly by Mirren’s character Maggie. But it’s not Mirren singing; the songs are actually sung by Jenny Darren, a British songstress of some fame in the UK. The DVD is fairly sharp, though some of the New York scenes seemed a little washed-out. It’s not the quality of the DVD; it’s likely the actual film itself. One of the enduring mysteries of some pre-2000 BBC shows is the lack of sharpness in production. You see it in some of the mystery shows and miniseries like this one. Things have certainly swung in the opposite direction, with shows like Wire In The Blood being as sharp and well-filmed as anything on TV.
But above all, Painted Lady is a top-notch mystery. Once again Acorn Media delivers another jewel from the BBC.
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