just watch it!

How wonderful it is to see this fine actress carry a film and carry it so beautifully.

The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

Henry VIII died in 1547. His only son sickly Edward was 9. The country is divided between Catholics and Reformers. Edward likes his cousin Lady Jane Grey (Helena Bonham Carter) and minister John Dudley Duke of Nothumberland (John Wood) sees the young reformer as a perfect match. In 1553 with Edward dying, John Dudley (John Wood) schemes with Frances Grey to put her daughter Jane on the throne and marry her off to his youngest irresponsible son Guildford Dudley (Cary Elwes). The free thinking Jane and the hard partying Guildford hate the match at first. The Catholics want Mary on the throne after Edward's death. Jane would rule for only 9 days.Firstly, I ignore all the historical inaccuracies in this movie. This is not a big historical event. It's not as if a film claims that Lincoln had slaves. There is no real stakes about faking much of this relationship. This is essentially a romance movie and this one follows a try-and-true method. The characters have real heat hating each other in the beginning and that heat powers the romance. Helena Bonham Carter and Cary Elwes are terrific in this. There are some great Shakespearian actors. Some will notice Patrick Stewart as Jane's father. John Wood is impeccable. This is a terrific romantic movie.

To see the real story of where Lady Jane Grey's tragic life had it start one might look at the Disney film, The Sword and the Rose. In that one, soldier of fortune Charles Brandon (Richard Todd) wooed and won Henry VIII's sister Mary (Glynis Johns). Their grand daughter was Lady Jane Grey who for a brief nine days was recognized by some as the Queen of England. Jane Grey (1537-1554) was a quiet, learned, and pious young woman who was a pawn in a power play by the Duke of Northumberland played by John Wood. The minor King Edward VI was a sickly lad who inherited the throne from his father Henry VIII. His original guardians were his uncles Thomas and Edward Seymour, but they got to quarreling and both eventually made it to the executioner's block. In fact Lady Jane Grey opens with Edward Seymour's execution and the Duke of Northumberland assuming guardianship.But he knows he's got a sickly dying king and to preserve the newly formed Anglican church that will go by the boards if the Catholic Mary Tudor inherits the throne, he needs a Protestant on the throne. Of course he wants to insure his own dominance. To do that he and Jane's parents get an arranged marriage with his youngest son, Guilford Dudley who mostly is interested in sampling the fleshpots of whatever town he's in. Still he's a handsome bloke if I do say so.Lady Jane gives you the politics, but concentrates on a legendary romance that actually developed out of this arranged marriage. Cary Elwes as Guilford and Helena Bonham Carter as Jane are one appealing pair. They may or may not have been that taken with each other as presented here, but why let that get in the way of an appealing story.By all accounts John Wood as the Duke of Northumberland was as big an intriguer and egomaniac as presented here. Allegedly he had one overbearing personality and the royal council went to the Catholic Mary rather than deal with him any longer. A lot of them had reason to regret that shortly.Sara Kestelman and Patrick Stewart are Jane's parents, a pair of greedy rogues if there ever were. Stewart gets his just desserts, but Kestelman as Frances if anything was downplayed. She actually gave up her place in the line of succession for her daughter because between all of them, they thought they could control Jane and Guilford. By all accounts she was one malignant witch of a woman who actually survived it all.The most touching performance here is young Warren Saire as the terminally ill Edward VI. The kid who changed places with a doppleganger beggar boy did not have a happy reign while he was in his minority. He so wanted to live and secure a Tudor succession.Lady Jane isn't accurate history, but it's still a fine film with a good cast and thoroughly enjoyable.

I had passed the copy of "Lady Jane" at the public library multiple times, each time mildly interested due to Cary Elwes being in it. Finally this week, I actually checked it out after noticing that Helena Bonham Carter (another fave) was in it as well. I never thought it would be this good.I wasn't familiar with the story of Jane Grey before watching the movie which was a good thing. I'm interested in the history of the English kings and queens, particularly Henry VIII and his children. Somewhere I missed the Nine Days Queen and like I said, that was a plus for the movie.Lady Jane (Helena Bonham Carter) is a young girl who embraced the new Protestant religion in a primarily Catholic world. She's put into an arranged marriage with the son of the Duke of Northumberland. Guilford (Cary Elwes) is shown to be a drunken womanizer, dug out of a whorehouse when he is informed of his upcoming wedding. Against all odds(but not too surprising, considering it is a movie) they fall in love. Then, their social climbing parents coerce the dying King Edward to change his will to place Jane as his successor. In that time, Jane and Guilford implement new laws and practices that the counselors are none to pleased with. As a result, the exiled Princess Mary is returned to London and Jane and Guilford are imprisoned for usurping the throne, and eventually executed.Helena Bonham Carter is brilliant in the title role. I haven't seen her act this young before and was pleased with what I saw. She had remarkable discipline as a mere 18 year old and great command of the character.Cary Elwes (always amazing) was very interesting to watch in this. He appears at first to be highly immature, lazy, and unmotivated, desiring nothing but alcohol, and sampling the pleasures of "a lady of the night." He is in truth, revealed to be highly passionate for his cause in reforming the world he lives in. Together, HBC and CE have fantastic chemistry and are a complete joy to watch.The entire cast is good. The majority of them are veteran RSC actors and a wonderful offset to the youthfulness of Helena and Cary.It was a great script, great actors, great music, and in general, it is highly unforgettable. I can watch it again and again.

Historical inaccuracies aside, I must say this movie did what few, if any present-day movies do for me. It touched me. Yes, it brought tears to my eyes. I FELT with the main characters. I was carried along with the plot. Perhaps it was contrived. Perhaps it was overplayed. I think not. To me, it struck that infinitesimal balance between maudlin and going straight for your heart.Yes the performances of several of the actors were clumsy. Could you indulge, just for the moment, in the suspension of disbelief? Could you allow yourself to be transported back to the characters' time and place? Could you go so far as to let yourself feel what they were feeling? Ah, I suppose not...And so you miss out, not only on this, but on so many things... Each of us has to be ready to receive the gifts that are before us. For the others, a treasure will pass by unnoticed.It is a beautiful movie. See it, if you dare (hehehe)