Painted Lady (TV 1997)

From the Irish countryside to London to New York and back again, Maggie reenters the world as a countess and shady art dealer. With her panache and charisma, she finds more than an auction,... See full summary »

Director:

Julian Jarrold

Writer:

Allan Cubitt

Stars:

Helen Mirren, Iain Glen, Franco Nero

Cast

Credited cast:
Helen Mirren	...	Maggie Sheridan
Iain Glen	...	Sebastian Stafford
Franco Nero	...	Robert Tassi
Michael Maloney	...	Oliver Peel
Lesley Manville	...	Susie Peel
Iain Cuthbertson	...	Charles Stafford
Barry Barnes	...	D.S. Fagan
Michael Liebmann	...	Bryan Gavin (as Michael Liebman)
John Kavanagh	...	Michael Longley
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sally Ann Barber	...	Caroline
Chooye Bay	...	Chan Mingkai (as Chooi Kheng-Beh)
William Boyer	...	Computer Operator
Grace Boyle	...	Cecilia
Peter Cooney	...	Security Agent
John Cormack	...	Solicitor

Storyline

From the Irish countryside to London to New York and back again, Maggie reenters the world as a countess and shady art dealer. With her panache and charisma, she finds more than an auction, a rekindled interracial love affair, helpful relatives and a painting of great price. She finds more than she bargained for in the labyrinth and milieu of stolen art.

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Plot Keywords:

art | auction | painting | interracial relationship | theft | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Thriller

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Details

Official Sites:

PBS [us]

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 1998 (USA)

Also Known As:

Art of Murder

Filming Locations:

Ireland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Granada Television, WGBH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

204 min 204 min (2 parts)

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

When Maggie is discovered in the tub in her sister's house her pose, etc, is a loose interpretation of Jacques-Louis David's painting "The Death of Marat".

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Quotes

Maggie: Thank you for having me...twice!

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Crazy Credits

For art historical support the Producers gratefully acknowledge Mary D. Gerrard's book Artemisia Gentileschi (Princeton University Press 1989).

User Reviews

Seen it 6 times, keeps getting better and better....

Maggie Sheridan, a semi-retired singer, is the first to find the body of Charles Stafford, a war veteran who is like a father to her.

When it is apparent that Stafford was killed during a robbery, people stealing artworks from his home, Maggie goes to all lengths to find the killer of Charles, and to buy back the one painting that the robbers got away with. She travels to London to see her half-sister Suzie and brother-in-law Oliver, and eventually travels to New York under a fake name and passport, becoming an unscrupulous Polish art dealer named Megdalena Krasinska, and there, finds out more than she bargained for...

The twists and turns in this film's plot, as well as the gritty portrayal of the illegal art world make this an excellent film in the thriller and drama genres. The plot is full of suspense and tension, yet full of lovely, friendly, fun, realistic characters at the same time.

Helen Mirren in this film is at her best since Prime Suspect (or so the trailer says - but I don't know if I can rate all her perfect performances like that), and Franco Nero is hypnotically appealing as the Italian-but-living-in-New-York dealer, Roberto Tassi.

And now, hoping that you will take my advice and go hire this if you can, I leave you with my favorite quote from the whole movie:

[Oliver Peel returns home from work(?)to hear 'Wild Thing' playing incredibly loudly on his stereo. Unbeknown to him Maggie has been given keys to their home by her sister Suzie, his wife. He walks into another room and then reappears, weilding a cricket bat above his head...he pounds up the stairs, throws open the bathroom door and... ...there is Maggie, lying in the bath, hair all wrapped up in a towel, completely naked, smoking a ciggarette...]

Maggie: Good match?

Oliver (lowing the bat): Rain stopped play.

10 out of 10!!!!!!!!!!