/ Register

Account / Logout

Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest StumbleUpon

Derek Jacobi

Follow Derek Jacobi

Derek Jacobi

Derek Jacobi Quick Links

News Pictures Video Film RSS

Murder On The Orient Express Review

Very Good

The latest adaptation of Agatha Christie's 83-year-old classic whodunit, this lavish, star-studded film is old-style entertainment. Director-star Kenneth Branagh lets the story unfold with attention to detail while filling the screen with eye-catching images, from the spectacular mountain settings to the opulent costumes. And while the story is too familiar to stir up too much suspense, it's played with a strong sense of emotional resonance. And the moral question is provocative.

The Orient Express sets off from 1934 Istanbul with a colourful collection of passengers. A last-minute addition is noted detective Hercule Poirot (Branagh), who has just solved a thorny mystery in Jerusalem and is now heading to London. Even though he shouldn't be working, he begins to weigh up the odd collection of passengers around him, including a gangster (Johnny Depp), countess (Judi Dench), widow (Michelle Pfeiffer), governess (Daisy Ridley), maid (Olivia Colman), salesman (Wille Dafoe), assistant (Josh Gad), butler (Derek Jacobi) and doctor (Leslie Odom Jr.). Then in the middle of the night, one of them is violently murdered. And when the train becomes lodged in a snowdrift, Poirot has the time to dig further into each person's clearly suspicious back-story.

Continue reading: Murder On The Orient Express Review

Ian McKellen And Derek Jacobi Prepare To Serve As Grand Marshals For New York City's Pride Parade

By Stephanie Chase in Movies / TV / Theatre on 28 June 2015

Ian McKellen Derek Jacobi

The two legendary actor star together as a gay couple in PBS sitcom ‘Vicious’.

Sir Ian McKellen and his ‘Vicious’ co-star Derek Jacobi will both be serving as grand marshals of New York City's Pride parade this Sunday, just days after the Supreme Court’s marriage equality ruling. Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, the two legendary actors who are both gay and 76 years old, gave their thoughts in the historic ruling, ahead of Sunday’s parade.

Ian McKellen will serve as a grand marshall at New York’s Pride Parade.

“I’m in a 38-year relationship with my civil partner, but I want to, someday soon, to get married. It’s such an advance, I think it’s extraordinary that we’ve come this far,” Jacobi said. “The thing about the Supreme Court is that it doesn’t lead the way; it actually confirms what’s already been happening,” McKellen added.

Continue reading: Ian McKellen And Derek Jacobi Prepare To Serve As Grand Marshals For New York City's Pride Parade

Sir Ian McKellen Reveals He Nearly Turned Down His Knighthood

By Stephanie Chase in Movies / TV / Theatre on 24 May 2015

Ian McKellen Derek Jacobi

The 'Lord of the Rings' star was awarded the honour in 1991.

Sir Ian McKellen has revealed he considered turning down his knighthood, because he believes the system is “unfair". The 75 year old was given the honour in 1991 for his services to the performing arts.

Sir Ian McKellen nearly didn't accept his knighthood.

Speaking to the Daily Mail's Weekend magazine McKellen said, "Frankly, I don't think we should have titles, really.It's a very strange system isn't it? Actors are more likely to get them than fire chiefs or people who have spent their lives doing charity work, which is a bit unfair, isn't it?”

Continue reading: Sir Ian McKellen Reveals He Nearly Turned Down His Knighthood

Derek Jacobi - Shots of a host of stars as they arrived and took to the red carpet for the UK Premiere of 'Cinderella' which was held at the Odeon Leicester Square in London, United Kingdom - Thursday 19th March 2015

Cinderella - Extended Trailer

Cinderella is an uncommonly kind young woman, overcome with the loss of her dear father. Her kindness extends to rescuing a stag from the woods, who's being hunted by the Prince and his men. Her resolute opinions strongly affect the Prince, who's life and sense of self begins to change following their frosty first meeting. But as determined and feisty as she may be, she still finds herself unable to stand up for herself back home, where she is forced into doing the cooking and cleaning by her wicked stepmother Lady Tremaine and her daughters. That is until she is invited to a ball at the Prince's palace. With the help of her mysterious Fairy Godmother, she transforms into a Princess for the day and, lo and behold, the Prince falls heavily in love with her and will do everything he can to find her after she disappears. But, alas, there are others determined to stand in the way of their happiness.

Continue: Cinderella - Extended Trailer

Cinderella Trailer

Following her mother's death, Cinderella was faced with a lonely existence while her beloved father took frequent long trips away from home on business. The reality was much, much worse, however, when he remarries the selfish Lady Tremaine who brings with her her two hideous daughters Anastasia and Drizella. She is thus forced to cook and clean tirelessly for her step-family, who ruthlessly take advantage of her chronic generosity and unwavering kindness. Soon, she meets a handsome stranger in the woods while out on an errand, and news of a royal ball quickly reaches the family household. Thrilled at the idea of meeting some new people, Cinderella jumps at the chance to attend, but she is forced back to work by Tremaine and the girls out of sheer spite - and jealousy. The only person who can get Cinderella to the ball on time is her magical Fairy Godmother.

Continue: Cinderella Trailer

Effie Gray Review

By Rich Cline

Very Good

Based on a notorious true story, this film takes a muted approach that matches the Victorian period and attitudes, which somewhat undermines the vivid emotions of the characters. It's a fascinating story about a woman caught in her society's harshly restrictive rules about women, and the script by Emma Thompson captures some strong observations, interaction and personal feelings, but the film is so dark and repressed that it ultimately feels a bit dull.

In the mid 19th century, Effie Gray (Dakota Fanning) has been courted by noted art critic John Ruskin (Greg Wise) since she was only 12 years old, and he has waited for her to come of age to marry her. But as she moves in with his suffocating parents (Julie Walters and David Suchet) in London, Effie soon realises that she's trapped in a hopeless situation. While he's loving, John simply refuses to touch her, which makes her doubt her own intellect and femininity. She's befriended by Lady Eastlake (Thompson), who knows a thing or two about cold marriages and helps her make a plan. Then Effie and John travel to Scotland with John's protege, the painter Everett Millais (Tom Sturridge), and Effie begins to understand that there might be other possibilities out there.

Since the film is made in Victorian style, it leaves all of the heaving passion far beneath the surface. It's obvious that Effie (and the audience) are craving a bit of lusty bodice-ripping, but any action remains behind closed doors, only hinted at in the clever dialogue. This makes the film realistic and intriguing, but difficult to get a grip on. And instead of the scandalous love triangle of historical record, the film plays out more as a drama about a young woman working out a complex escape from male-dominated society. Even so, it's a compelling journey, with some remarkable twists and turns along the way, and the complex characters add plenty of detail.

Continue reading: Effie Gray Review

Effie Gray Trailer

When young Effie Grey (Dakota Fanning) is married to John Ruskin (Greg Wise), a man ten years older than her, she feels no pleasure whatsoever. She is soon whisked away from her native Scotland and follows her husband as he travels to Venice in order to work on his book, 'The Stones of Venice'. People often notice that there is no love between the pair, and they drift apart during their time in Italy, with Effie spending her time walking the streets of Venice and spending more and more time with her husband's protégée John Everett Millais (Tom Sturridge). With the two steadily falling in love, the struggle between right and wrong rages within Effie, as she is forced to make the choice between what she is told, and what she wants.

Continue: Effie Gray Trailer

Grace Of Monaco Review

By Rich Cline

While the tone is all wrong, this fantastical version of a momentous year in the life of Grace Kelly is still entertaining, and not just unintentionally. Lavishly designed and heavily fictionalised, the film is anchored by a solid movie-star performance from Nicole Kidman that may miss Kelly's persona but captures an intriguing inner life.

It's set in 1961, five years after Grace (Kidman) left her Oscar-winning career to marry Monaco's Prince Rainier (Tim Roth). Now with two kids, she is still struggling to define her role as a foreign-born princess while considering a return to Hollywood. Meanwhile, France is ominously threatening Monaco with embargoes and more if Rainier doesn't start taxing his population and paying the money to France. Taking advice from her priest friend Tucker (Frank Langella), Grace decides to devote herself to her husband to help solve the crisis. This will require training with an etiquette guru (Derek Jacobi) as well as fending off the in-laws (Geraldine Somerville and Nicholas Farrell). And it may mean that she'll never return to the movies.

The script by producer Arash Amel presents each of Grace's decisions in the most simplistic melodramatic light, as director Olivier Dahan cuts to yet another extreme close-up of Kidman's weeping eyes. The corny approach undermines any chance at real drama, as the filmmakers keep trying to crank up suspense (someone is leaking secrets!) or emotion (the people need a champion!) without building up any meaningful substance. This makes most of the plotting feel rather laughably silly, centred around a painfully dull series of political negotiations.

Continue reading: Grace Of Monaco Review

Cinderella - Teaser Trailer

Everyone is familiar with the classic fairy tale of Cinderella. Cinderella lives a mundane life doing whatever her evil step-mothers tell her to do, and all she dreams of is going to the ball and one day a fairy Godmother makes this wish come true and she lives happily ever after.

In 2015, Cinderella will have a new reimagining via Disney who have previously made a cartoon film, telling the story. This version is going to be live action and will star Lily James (Downton Abbey, Wrath Of The Titans) as Cinderella, Richard Madden (Game Of Thrones, A promise) as Prince Charming, Cate Blanchett (The Lord Of The Rings franchise, Hanna) as Lady Tremaine and Helena Bonham Carter (Les Misérables, Fight Club) as The Fairy Godmother. Given the war-driven fantasy works some of these actors have been in (namely Blanchett in Lord Of The Rings and Madden in Game Of Thrones), can we expect an element of this in this new Cinderella film? Probably not, but it should still be a fun film at the very least for both children new to the story, and people who'll remember seeing the previous version.

The film is directed by Sir Kenneth Branagh who you may know best for playing Gilderoy Lockhart in Harry Potter and The Chamber Of Secrets, but he has also had great success directing films. A recent example being 2011's Thor.

Grace of Monaco Trailer

Grace Kelly is one of the most famous and most beloved Hollywood actresses in the world having won an Academy Award and two Golden Globes among others, and having starred in some of the most exciting films of the fifties. In 1955, her life changes dramatically when she catches the eye of the charming Prince Rainier III of Monaco who is on the lookout for the perfect wife. After three days of meeting, wedding plans begin and the high profile of such an event forces Grace to give up acting. Their marriage is about to be seriously tested, however, as Grace is offered a new screen role and she is itching to get back in front of the cameras. Unfortunately for her, nobody is in agreement with her continuing in film as a bad role could mar her royal reputation.

'Grace Of Monaco' is the dramatic onscreen biography of actress-turned-princess Grace Kelly, who was well-known for appearing in several of Alfred Hitchcock's films. It has been directed by the BAFTA nominated Olivier Dahan ('La Vie en Rose', 'Ghost River', 'Crimson Rivers 2') and written by Arash Amel ('The Expatriate'). The film is set to be released in the UK on June 6th 2014.

Click here to read Grace of Monaco movie review

Derek Jacobi, Lady Jane Rayne-, Lacey and Robert Lacey - Derek Jacobi, Lady Jane Rayne-Lacey and Robert Lacey Monday 5th November 2012 The 24th Chickenshed Annual Fundraising Gala at The Guildhall

Kenneth Branagh, Alan Rickman, Celia Imrie, Derek Jacobi, Emma Thompson, Imelda Staunton, Judi Dench and Robbie Coltrane - Kenneth Branagh, Dame Judi Dench, Alan Rickman, Celia Imrie, Imelda Staunton, Richard E Grant, Robbie Coltrane, Patrick Doyle and daughters, Emma Thompson, Scott Davies, Sir Derek Jacobi, Jannis Kelly, Anatolij Fokanov, Adrian Lester, Mike Newell, Dan Hill Sunday 28th October 2007 at Royal Albert Hall London, England