It was definitely "a cosy crime", with an amazing cast list. Being set in an OAP home, or more accurately "an upmarket seniors' retirement community" there were many older actors both in leading roles and cameos. Oh, and David Tennant, who seems to pop up in almost everything lately.
As well as the Fab Four [Mirren, Imrie, Kingsley and Brosnan] look out for
- Jonathan Pryce [the best actor in the recent Count of Monte Cristo we thought]
- Richard E Grant [at 68, one of the younger OAPs in the cast]
- Paul Freeman - I prefer him without his beard. He was Molly's urbane suitor in one series of Monarch of the Glen
- Richenda Carey - Also in MotG* playing Kilwillie's snooty sister Lady Dorothy
- Ruth Sheen - the longsuffering office secretary in Strike [new series due this autumn] No relation to Martin, or Michael
*our family referred to that favourite Sunday evening viewing as Monica. [As in "busy tonight, catching up with Monica Theglen"]
The filming was done in various Home Counties properties and villages, mainly Englefield House near Reading. The London Street through which HM drives at speed is actually Chatham Dockyard. And whilst Englefield House conveniently has an adjacent church, the cemetery opposite was specially constructed for the film,. With polystyrene gravestones!
For me the best laugh-out-loud line in the entire film was when Pryce says to his wife who is just going out sleuthing "You look just like the Queen". Same initials HM, and Ms Mirren has played HerMaj twice [ film, The Queen 2006, and stage, The Audience 2013-2015] And she does it so well. You have to look twice to be sure who is who.
Have you seen it, what did you think?
