Sunday, January 11, 2009

Dame Maggie

Recycling is a good thing, don't you think? That's why I am going to
dust off some of my early posts and repost them once in a while. So,
I guess you could consider Willow Manor a "green blog" in the bloggy
neighborhood! Here's one of these environmentally friendly posts:
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I've always thought Cezanne's Woman in Blue looks exactly like
Maggie Smith! It's as if she stepped out of the set of A Room With a
View
and sat for Cezanne. I like the abstract lines in the dress, and of
course, the face is very typically Cezanne. The woman has that pitiful
expression that Maggie does so well. You already know how much I
admire Cezanne's work and Dame Maggie is one of my favorite actors.
I think one of her most powerful performances is her role of Judith
Hearne, in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, 1987. This film is
based on the novel, by the same name, by Brian Moore. She plays a
desperate and lonely middle aged piano teacher in Ireland in the
1950's. And she is phenomenal! For some unknown reason, this
wonderful film is not available on DVD. This is totally ludicrous to me,
considering all the flimsy stuff available out there. Maggie also gets to
display her full acting prowess in My House in Umbria, 2003. I watch
this one when I want to escape to Italy for a few hours.
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Here's a dynamic scene from The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne:



*Woman in Blue, 1900-1904, The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

61 comments:

  1. Lady of Willow Manor,
    She really does look like Maggie Smith, one of my favorite actresses. I can't believe that movie is not on DVD.... I haven't seen it...is it on video?...Its a must see.
    Great write up as always...
    Later,
    Unks

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  2. Thanks for the nice comment! Your blog is so interesting, I don`t think I know Maggie Smith but I do like Cezanne!

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  3. You're right! It looks just like she posed for the painting!

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  4. You are so right about this painting! That was my first thought when I opened your blog and saw it. Only this week I saw My House in Umbria for the first time - it's one of the DVDs I recently bought....she is fantastic in it. Did you ever read the book? The Prime if Miss Jean Brodie is another good book and film in which she stars. I have not seen the other one you mention here (yet).

    A Good Year was very enjoyable...I was not expecting as much humor as it had, though it also has drama and romance, of course. I laughed out loud a few times. Lots of Russell Crowe, but not as much Tuscany as I was expecting, but overall a very enjoyable movie.

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  5. Sara, thanks for the movie tip. I looked for it today when I was out. There is a great second hand dvd store near me that I adore. It is always hit or miss, but that's part of the fun.

    Your flowers are so lovely!!

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  6. Katrine,
    Thanks for stopping by my Willow Manor and for your nice comment.
    Your art is so very charming!! I am adding you to my list. Please come back and visit again soon.

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  7. Speaking of escaping to heavenly Italian places, have you seen Enchanted April? I think I shall have to do a post on my blog about it. That's my favourite escape-to-Italy fix.

    That portrait is really very like Maggie Smith! Well spotted!

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  8. Princess, no I have not seen Enchanted April. Will add it to my "must see" list. I can't get enough film of beautiful Italian landscape. Thanks!

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  9. when I saw the painting before I read the blog, I thought that's a great portrait of Maggie. How funny. I love her too - especially in the Ya-Ya Sisterhood as she was the bright spot in the movie.

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  10. A good idea, being green on the blog. I will need a few days before I can answer and post the interview. Thanks for your questions!

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  11. Definitely looks like Maggie Smith.

    I'll be looking for My House in Umbria. I also love seeing movies about Tuscany and Provence as well as reading about those regions of Europe. Thank you for mentioning the movie.

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  12. Dame Maggie has always been one of my favourite actors, alongside Dame Judy & Dame Helen. Us Brit's can really churn out the actresses!

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  13. Oh I never put the two together! :)

    I love thinking about sitters in my favorite paintings. I once had a mad crush on one of the shepherds in a Ghirlandaio painting.

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  14. I agree. The Woman in Blue does look like Maggie Smith. I wonder if she was an excellent an actress as Maggie.

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  15. Oh I just read this post as I have been looking thru your archives...and this movie is already on my Netflix list...love Dame Maggie..

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  16. I always thought Maggie Smith should deserve at least 10 Oscars for her performances throughout the years. Is the first time I ever heard of this film. I'm going to be looking for it. Great green post. Oh!, Cezanne must have traveled to the future or viceversa, it does look like Dame Maggie!

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  17. I adored that movie and I am going to check if it is available in the UK - thanks for the memory jog, xv.

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  18. Me again Willow, it is available on Amazon in the UK so if you have a multi region player I am very happy to send it to you. xv

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  19. oh, geez, I'm behind as usual - I loved the man in the moon poem - I've read more poetry since I started reading your blog, then I have in years - thanks!

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  20. I looked at the photo first and thought 'hmm, Maggie Smith' and then read your post! How funny.

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  21. Definitely Maggie Smith! Spookie!

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  22. Judging from the clip I'd say that looks like a pretty powerful performance by Dame Maggie. And you are right. The painting looks as if she sat for Cezanne to paint her.

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  23. Willow that is a really powerful performance. Maggie Smith is quite amazing.
    Is that Cezanne portrait one of his wife in her prime. I have not come across it before. It does look remarkably like Maggie.

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  24. You're right, willow! She does looks like the woman Cezanne's painting. I love impressionism. I have never seen this movie before. How could I miss it? Thanks for the clip. Will look out for it in the video section (if they still have it) in my local library.

    I look forward to more 'green' posts :-).

    Greetings from London.

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  26. I don't "know" this film, either. Her Irish accent is impeccable.

    I once saw Dame Maggie strolling down the street in Oxford. She had a cape on, and she looked quite majestic -- and quite unlike the poor Judith Hearne.

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  27. Hi Willow........yes, I have to agree, Dame Maggie is a truly wonderful actress, great diction without sounding 'stagey' in my humble opinion.
    She is the mistress (along with Margaret Rutherford) of the female 'withering look', that's not to say I haven't encountered some real life ladies equally capable...grinning.
    Stay so well.

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  28. I agree with Pink Cowboy, "Cezanne must have traveled to the future...". The resemblance is uncanny.

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  29. Hi Willow,
    the woman in the painting looks really like Maggie Smith, it´s unbelievable. If the dress and the hat would be black and not blue, she would look like in the Harry Potter movies.

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  30. Spitting image off the grande Dame!

    Have you seen or the Prime of Miss Jean Brodie? Originally, a book depicting the personal life a young school teacher in England in her prime. Believe it or not it was on one of my course outlines in college as required reading and viewing.

    Just love her accent!

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  31. Now there's something I haven't seen - blogs going green. Nice trend you're setting there!

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  32. vicki, that is so nice of you, but I don't have a multi region dvd player. Thank you for thinking of me! :)

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  33. You are so right about the Cezanne!
    Man oh Man! Dynamic, is certainly the word for that scene. I've never seen the film, but it's just shot up to the top of my "must see" list.
    I have "My House in Umbria" on video but have never watched it...I think I know what I'm doing today. Thanks.

    Kat

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  34. The resemblance is uncanny, she too is one of my faves, right along with A Room with a View.

    I think we're both on the same green page today...I'm recycling my old shack and gardens...ha!

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  35. Maggie Smith is one of my favorites, too, especially in "My House in Umbria". I love her 'great heart' in that portrayal of the multi- pseudonym-ed romance novelist who has fans-and she still occasionally turns heads!

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  36. Hello Willow,

    There is very little to which Dame Maggie can't turn her hand. Whether dramatic or comedy roles she is superb. Think of 'Ladies in Lavender', 'Tea with Mussolini', 'A Private Function', or her wonderful foil to Bette Davis in 'Death on the Nile'.

    Your recycling idea is a good one. Some of us, of course, will have to wait a while before we have anything old enough to recycle! :0)

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  37. Oh, yes--she really does resemble Maggie! I never noticed before, but you're very right!

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  38. You are right, she does. and it's never a bad thing to revisit a great post. :)
    Lidy

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  39. And she is the perfect Professor McGonagall!!

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  40. Maggie, Most fabulous actor! I saw her in person in a play which I forget the name of- too enthralled with Maggie.I was living in London at the time- got in for 50P( standing room) and sneaked up to the front. She filled the place - her timing, her eyes, her voice- just wow!

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  41. It sure does remind one of Dame Mags ...

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  42. I love Dame Maggie too and put that movie on my want list on Netflix but I guess according to yr info I will never get it. Interesting you noticed the resemblance with the woman in the painting. How did you get to see the movie then?

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  43. Suki, my library has it in VHS format. It needs to be available on DVD!

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  44. It's a nice reminder too that Cezanne painted something other than sunny Tahitian woman:)

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  45. You are right, she definitely looks like maggie Smith... a lot! :-)

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  46. Her expression is enough to frighten the most rebellious child. Reminds me of a former teacher of mine! Excellent post Lady willow!

    Cheers,
    Clayrn Darrow
    M.IV

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  47. I love Cezanne - I love all the impressionists, because I'm a painter - if you have waded through all your 721 followers(!! success is not everything)
    maybe you can visit my blog to see some of my paintings. Also at www.stgermainart.com
    you're in my thoughts when you click 721 times...cheers, jeannette

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  48. Incredibly powerful!!! I would like to add you to my list of those I read regularly. I love Maggie Smith. She was absolutely perfect in "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and this 1987 film I have never seen. Oh she was so good in "My House in Umbria". I will have to find "The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne" if only I can find it. And you are correct in thinking she stepped out of "Woman in Blue". I look forward to more of your blogs.

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  49. Holy crow what a scene that was in the movie, now of course I want to watch it, but apparently can't.

    Thank you for my visit to the manor, I will be back everyday at this time.

    xoxo

    Renee

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  50. I loved Maggie Smith as the housekeeper in The Secret Garden, the innkeeper in "Evil Under the Sun" with Peter Ustinov, and of course, for her most famous "production", her son, actor Toby Stevens, a charming rogue of a Mr. Rochester.

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  51. Cezanne was one of my first loves...I studied his palette, brush strokes, all the details of his compositions.
    Nice to see this painting and I agree it does look like Maggie Smith. She is such a fine actress...thank you for the clip!

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  52. Traductora, Toby Stephens is wonderful! I didn't know he was her son until just a few years ago. He's great in Jane Eyre and pretty darn cute in Onegin, too.

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  53. Oh yes, it looks just like her - Dame Maggie is my best ever, along with Dame Judy of course.

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  54. My other post seems to have been lost in cyber space....


    I remember this painting when you posted it before and it is dead on Maggie Smith..Amazing, isn't it?

    Are you bracing for the snow headed your way? We may get an inch or two but looks like you might get a bit more up your way. Stay warm and safe at the manor!

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  55. They could be twins.

    I love your 'green' idea.

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  56. Wow, the resemblance is amazing... thank you for sharing this! I love this painting and unfortunately have not seen it before. Terrible 'A Room...' isn't on DVD. Enchanted April isn't either - what's the world coming to?

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  57. Cezanne's painting does look like Dame Maggie...

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  58. Maggie Smith? Yes, and Maggie thatcher too, come to think of it!

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  59. That is an amazing resemblance.

    She is the most outstanding actor. She'll always be Jean Brodie to me but her comedy is wonderful too. Remember her in Neil Simon's California Suite?

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  60. Oh you are so right! She really does look like M.Smith! Cezanne. What can one say?
    I am just now catching up and I was be-bopping to Simon and Garfunkel on your Sat. post. One of the best songs ever. When I lived in NYC I sat on my rooftop and heared their free concert in Central Park! What a treat.
    Your thoughts were so welcoming this morning, you have no idea. You made my day a whole lot brighter. Thank you so much for your warm words and for your comraderie, Willow.
    Enjoy the snow!
    Catherine

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  61. Thank you, Willow, for introducing me to another great movie. The excerpt intrigued me enough that I want to go looking for it.

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Inject a few raisins of conversation into the tasteless dough of existence.
― O. Henry (and me)