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Fun is the order of the day, although that isn't the case
for females wanting to enjoy the attention of being on stage.
For it is illegal for women to act and so the roles are played
by pretty young men.
The foremost of these is one Edward Kynaston (Billy Crudup)
whose stage beauty is renown throughout society and men and
women flock to see (and sometimes feel) his charms.
Kynaston's dresser is Maria (Clare Danes) and she - unknown
to him - borrows his clothes and goes to a small illegal theatre
where she plays Desdemona, the role in Othello that he has
made his own.
Her houses are packed out - despite the fact she's no great
thespian - and this brings her to the attention of Nell Gwynn,
the mistress of Charles II (Rupert Everett) himself.
The King changes the law to make life more interesting, but
this angers Kynaston who rejects acting with a woman. In turn,
this infuriates Gwynn who uses her charms to make sure there
is royal retribution against the actor.
While usually light in nature, 'Stage Beauty' becomes movingly
dramatic as Kynaston plunges from superstar to nobody and
the scene where he tries to play Othello in front of the king
is heart-rending.
The movie has a superb cast who all do magnificently with
great lines and direction. Crudup is a standout, but watch
for scene stealers from Everett - who is simply brilliant
- and Richard Griffiths as the rejected and vengeance-seeking
arsitocrat.
DVD Extras
Deleted Scenes
Audio Commentary
Production Interviews
Behind the Scenes Footage
Conclusion: Movie 90% Extras: 65%
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