VIDEO The Madness of King George Alan Bennet's marvellous play translates splendidly to the big screen thanks to director Nicholas Hytner's deft touch. It is also helped by a remarkable performance from British TV veteran Nigel Hawthorne, and an even better turn from Helen Mirren.
Mirren, best known for her Prime Suspect work, took home the Cannes best-actress award in 1995 for her portrayal of the queen who has to find a way through George III's madness.
It is a touching, funny, often energetic romp through a bizarre period in British history when the crown belonged to a mad German who hated his spendthrift son (Rupert Everett) and was obsessed by the loss of the American colonies.
A bright and breezy opening hour gradually descends into something much darker with the appearance of Dr Willis (Ian Holm), whose radical approach to curing the insane is at times brutally heartless.
Hawthorne's George has by this stage charmed the viewer to such an extent that to see him bullied so heartlessly back into conforming to his restrictive kingly role is disheartening.
He had achieved a degree of freedom through his madness that he could never achieve as a monarch aware of his responsibilities. By the end of the film, we miss the mad George and find the 'repaired version' dull. Excellent.
