The Queen of Sheba's Pearls
Encyclopedia
'The Queen of Sheba's Pearls' is a 2004
Swedish
-British
drama film
set in England post WWII. Helena Bergström
plays Nancy Ackerman who mysteriously arrives on the Pretty family doorstep. Ackerman looks eerily similar to Jack Bradley's (James Hawkins
) mother who inexplicably died in an WWII-related accident 8 years prior. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that Ackerman is the identical twin separated from Jacks's mother at birth. Meanwhile Jack's father, a former marine, has clouded feelings for Ackerman; he cannot decide if his feelings for her are growing on their own merits or are based on those towards his deceased wife. Ackerman also proves to be an unsettling force in Jack's life by offering advice that turns out to be eerily omniscient and fairy godmother-like. The movie was produced, directed and written by Colin Nutley
who also happens to be married to the film's star, Helena Bergström.
was nominated for the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
.
Sandra Hall, a British critic, provides a more clouded review of the film, saying that while Nutley is "not great on plot mechanics and narrative dovetailing. He's into vignettes rather than the big picture. Yet in its anecdotal way, the film somehow hangs together, shaping itself into a benign and sunny take on a plot device we've often seen before in films - about a fraying household rejuvenated by the presence of a seductive stranger."
However, while critics, film analysts, and awards committees agree that the film has superb casting and behind the scenes elements it is not especially popular or well-known with the general public as evidenced by the lack of comments and support on a number of public review sites including Flixster.com and RottenTomatoes.com
2004 in film
The year 2004 in film involved some significant events. Major releases of sequels took place. It included blockbuster films like Shrek 2, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, The Passion of the Christ, Meet the Fockers, Blade: Trinity, Spider-Man 2, Alien vs. Predator, Kill Bill Vol...
Swedish
Cinema of Sweden
Swedish cinema is known as producing many critically acclaimed movies, and during the 20th century was the most prominent of Scandinavia. This is largely due to the popularity and prominence of the directors Ingmar Bergman, Victor Sjöström, and more recently Lasse Hallström and Lukas...
-British
Cinema of the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has had a major influence on modern cinema. The first moving pictures developed on celluloid film were made in Hyde Park, London in 1889 by William Friese Greene, a British inventor, who patented the process in 1890. It is generally regarded that the British film industry...
drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
set in England post WWII. Helena Bergström
Helena Bergström
Helena Bergström is a Swedish actress.The granddaughter of legendary Swedish actor Olof Widgren and the daughter of Hans Bergström and Kerstin Widgren . Bergström is married to Colin Nutley and is known for playing the female lead in many of his films...
plays Nancy Ackerman who mysteriously arrives on the Pretty family doorstep. Ackerman looks eerily similar to Jack Bradley's (James Hawkins
James Hawkins
James Hawkins, from Maysville, Kentucky, was a Battlefield commissioned Second lieutenant and field operations leader of the United States Army Tiger Force commando unit, 1st Battalion , 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade , 101st Airborne Division, during the Vietnam War...
) mother who inexplicably died in an WWII-related accident 8 years prior. As the film progresses, it becomes clear that Ackerman is the identical twin separated from Jacks's mother at birth. Meanwhile Jack's father, a former marine, has clouded feelings for Ackerman; he cannot decide if his feelings for her are growing on their own merits or are based on those towards his deceased wife. Ackerman also proves to be an unsettling force in Jack's life by offering advice that turns out to be eerily omniscient and fairy godmother-like. The movie was produced, directed and written by Colin Nutley
Colin Nutley
Colin Nutley is an English director successful in the Swedish film industry.-Career:Nutley went to Portsmouth Art College and began his career in British television as a graphic designer. He then turned to drama and documentary film-making for ITV, BBC and Channel 4...
who also happens to be married to the film's star, Helena Bergström.
Cast
- Helena BergströmHelena BergströmHelena Bergström is a Swedish actress.The granddaughter of legendary Swedish actor Olof Widgren and the daughter of Hans Bergström and Kerstin Widgren . Bergström is married to Colin Nutley and is known for playing the female lead in many of his films...
... Nancy Ackerman / Emily Bradley - Lorcan CranitchLorcan CranitchLorcan Cranitch is an Irish actor.Born in Dublin, Cranitch became involved in drama while a student, and moved to London where he entered RADA in 1980. His first major role on British television was as Tim Healy in the 1991 BBC drama series, Parnell and the Englishwoman...
... Harold Bradley - Lindsay DuncanLindsay DuncanLindsay Vere Duncan, CBE is a Scottish stage, television and film actress. On stage she won two Olivier Awards and a Tony Award for her performance in Les Liaisons dangereuses and Private Lives , and she starred in several plays by Harold Pinter. Her most famous roles on television include:...
... Audrey Pretty - Tim DuttonTim DuttonTim Dutton is a British actor. He was born in Stratford-on-Avon, Warwickshire, England.Dutton has appeared on stage, in film, and in television series. Among the films are Darkness Falls , The Bourne Identity , and The Detonator...
... Father Talbot - Rolf LassgårdRolf LassgårdRolf Lassgård is a Swedish actor.-Biography:A keen amateur ice hockey player in his youth, Lassgård also joined theatre teacher Ingemar Lind's Institute for the Performing Arts in the village of Storhögen outside Östersund. He then attended the Stage School in Malmö from 1975-78...
... Deafy - Natasha LittleNatasha LittleNatasha Little is a British actress. She is best known for her work on British television, but has also featured in many film and theatre roles.- Early life :...
... Peggy Prett - Elizabeth SpriggsElizabeth Spriggs-Early life and career:Born in Buxton, Derbyshire as Elizabeth Jean Williams, Spriggs had an unhappy childhood and grew up entirely without affection, particularly from her distant, domineering father, a master builder and farmer. She studied at the Royal College of Music and taught speech and...
... Laura Pretty - Peter VaughanPeter VaughanPeter Vaughan is an English character actor, known for many supporting roles in a variety of British film and television productions. He has worked extensively on the stage, becoming known for roles such as police inspectors, Soviet agents and similar parts...
... Edward Pretty - Rollo WeeksRollo WeeksRollo Weeks is a British actor, the son of Robin and Susan Weeks, and the brother of Honeysuckle Weeks and Perdita Weeks, both actresses. His name means "famous wolf".-Acting:...
... Jack Bradley - Eileen AtkinsEileen AtkinsDame Eileen June Atkins, DBE is an English actress and occasional screenwriter.- Early life :Atkins was born in the Mothers' Hospital in Clapton, a Salvation Army women's hostel in East London...
... School matron - Marc PickeringMarc PickeringMarc Pickering is an English stage, film and television actor who appeared in Sleepy Hollow and Calendar Girls.-Biography:Pickering was first attracted to acting aged 8 when he saw an audition sign for The Sound of Music and said to his father "I wouldn't mind doing that". Although he did not get...
... Dinger Bell - Simon DaySimon DaySimon Day is a British comedian most famous for his roles in the sketch show The Fast Show, sitcom Grass and a series of comedic adverts for Powergen.-Life and career:...
... Rektorn - Bohdan Poraj ... Teacher
- John Joe Regan ... Geoffrey Thicket
- James HawkinsJames HawkinsJames Hawkins, from Maysville, Kentucky, was a Battlefield commissioned Second lieutenant and field operations leader of the United States Army Tiger Force commando unit, 1st Battalion , 327th Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade , 101st Airborne Division, during the Vietnam War...
... Young Jack Bradley - Alexander Goggins ... Mr.Jenkins
Awards and Recognition
According to IMDB, Jens Fischer was nominated for the Silver and Gold Frogs and won the Silver Frog at the 2005 Camerimage Festival for his work as the lighting director for the film. The Guldbagge Film Festival awarded Lasse Liljeholm and Eddie Axberg Best Achievement for sound editing and Jens Fischer was also awarded Best Cinematography. Finally, Colin NutleyColin Nutley
Colin Nutley is an English director successful in the Swedish film industry.-Career:Nutley went to Portsmouth Art College and began his career in British television as a graphic designer. He then turned to drama and documentary film-making for ITV, BBC and Channel 4...
was nominated for the Crystal Globe at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
Karlovy Vary International Film Festival
The Karlovy Vary International Film Festival is a film festival held annually in July in Karlovy Vary , Czech Republic. The Karlovy Vary Festival gained worldwide recognition over the past years and has become one of Europe's major film events....
.
Reception and Reviews
A number of positive reviews followed the release of The Queen of Sheba's Pearls. Variety Magazine calls the film "unquestionably [Nutley's] most substantial movie to date."Sandra Hall, a British critic, provides a more clouded review of the film, saying that while Nutley is "not great on plot mechanics and narrative dovetailing. He's into vignettes rather than the big picture. Yet in its anecdotal way, the film somehow hangs together, shaping itself into a benign and sunny take on a plot device we've often seen before in films - about a fraying household rejuvenated by the presence of a seductive stranger."
However, while critics, film analysts, and awards committees agree that the film has superb casting and behind the scenes elements it is not especially popular or well-known with the general public as evidenced by the lack of comments and support on a number of public review sites including Flixster.com and RottenTomatoes.com