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Helen Mirren on Enough Rope
Review

Helen Mirren on Enough Rope

October 21 2007

Enough Rope, ABC TV, 9.35pm, Monday, 22 October

Miriam Margolyes recently likened Andrew Denton to fabled English pioneer of the in-depth TV interview John Freeman. And after watching her with Denton - more open, honest, funny and witty than those who know her well can ever recall - you begin to wonder who else is as good at the gentle yet penetrating public interrogation.

It is difficult to think of his equal in Australia; even Parky succumbed to his charms and is in any case less probing and less effective as an interviewer ( doesn't try to be anything else anyway). So, what happens when Denton goes to London - out of his comfortable studio with onside audience - into enemy territory to confront the notoriously prickly Helen Mirren?

On Enough Rope Dame Helen, as she now is, is by turns guarded (eyes turned down and away) and defensive (chin protected by curled fist) when she is not laughing and giving every appearance of total relaxation. It's an interesting series of contrasts from the woman who not only played ace police detective Jane Tennison in the many series of Prime Suspect, but also talks about her research for the role. In particular she describes learning how detectives use analysis of body language to "read" suspects and witnesses.

Mirren clearly wasn't an easy chat - despite her obvious moments of pleasure in the process - because Denton has to lead her into and through lines of questioning in ways that suggest she may have wished to be less forthcoming than she is. Nevertheless, the frisson in the air whenever Mirren is around is unmistakable and the result is never less than fascinating, often funny and at times unexpectedly touching.

Helen Mirren on Enough Rope

If you want to know what Dame Helen thinks of Corgis, Elvis, boys in tights, HM the Queen's body language and to find out who once referred to one of England's most admired actresses as "a silly little fantasist", you'd better tune in to Enough Rope on Monday night.

Oh yes: her new book - which is why she agreed to the interview in the first place - is titled In The Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures, it's by Mirren herself, is published by Weidenfeld & Nicholson and is available now

 

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