Customer Reviews
The Tits, Tiaras and Toils of the Queen, Helen Mirren - By: prisrob, 20 Apr 2008 
"The tiaras & silvering hair of Britain's sexiest sixty something - it's all here,in In the Frame: My Lifein Words & Pictures, a glossy hardback scrapbook of photographs extensively annotated by Helen Mirren. Born Ilyena Vasilievna Mironovin Chiswick, London,in 1945." Eva Wiseman
Helen Mirren, my image of the perfect woman & actress, warts & all, beautiful to look at as she ages & beautifulin mind & soul as I got to know her a little better. I think she will love the title I chose for this review, like me, she's a little bit raunchy & rock 'n roll. Helen was asked why she wrote this book. It seems that she has been asked many times to write her story, but could not think it through. A good friend suggested she write it like a scrapbook. Helen has always been surrounded by pictures of herself, her family & what is important to her. She started with the pictures, & the words came pouring out. This is a lovely way to write a book, the gorgeous pictures give you a mind's eye picture of Helen at the time. One of the more innovative methods of writing about yourself.
Helen's father was from a royal Russian family who came to the UK & ended up as a very well educated cab driver. Helen loved this part of her life,getting to knwo her Russan ancestors. She explains the history of the family, & along with the pictures we get a feel for what life was like.
At 23, Helen visited a palm readerin the UK who told her that she would see her greatest success after the age of 45. How right she was! She began her career with the National Youth Theaterin the UKin 1965, & forty years later won an Academy Award for her role as Queen Elizabeth IIin the 2006 feature film "The Queen," She tells us of her many experiencesin these past forty years, the memorable plays & movies & people that she met along the way. She has had one hell of a life, & she has worked very hard for every bit of it. Strangely, her role as Detective Tennisonin 'Prime Suspect' on BBC TV helped to show her veritable talents. She signed a contract for one season & ended up playing four. This series became a 'WATER COOLER' series- everyone was talking about it. And then the same year that she ended her reign as Tennison, she played the Queen, & won the top coveted prize for her acting. The years in-between were filled with a busy careerin TV, film & theatre. As Max Holmer says when he interviewed her, "She has won acclaim for 'The Madness of King George' & 'Gosford Park', took her clothes off for Calendar Girls, then came the damehood, The Queen & the Oscar."
Helen shares her version of her first lovemaking & other areas of her sexual history, but it is the photos that you will love. She has indeed had wonderful luck with her photographers & some marvelous pictures grace this book. Like me, I can see you looking at the photos before you start reading.
Helen talks about her family, her loves & losses. And she introduces us to her husband, Taylor Lockeford, an acclaimed directorin his own right. He brought two sons into the union, & a ready made family with its trials & tribulations isin the fore. Her subsequent marriagein Scotland, & their stayin an old castle completes the story of her life thus far. It is not the life of a princess grown into a queen, but that of an everyday young girl who has become one of the best known womenin the world.
"Actress Helen Mirren began her career with the National Youth Theaterin Great Britainin 1965, & four decades later is still packingin audiences at cinemas & playhouses around the world. Best known to American audiences for her Academy Award-winning turn as Queen Elizabeth IIin the 2006 feature film "The Queen," Max Follmer
A wonderful rollicking look into the life of a woman many of us emulate. Helen Mirren is a woman that could be my best friend. I feel like I know her as a person through her writing & her photos. This is a woman to be admired & loved. I have seen most of her films & television series, & I have never been disappointed.
Highly Recommended. prisrob 04-20-08
The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone
Elizabeth I
A marvellous book - By: Jackie Onassis, 01 Mar 2008 I was excited to buy In The Frame by Helen Mirren. Following her successful yearin which she won the Oscar, Bafta & numerous other awards for The Queen, I was eager to learn more about the legendary actress.
The book is sumptuous with its photographs, documenting every stage of Mirren's life. It does make you feel that you are being 'let into' Helen's world, & allows you the chancein a sense to get to know her better.
The text is a nice accompaniment, it is very personal & compliments the photography.
I would reccomend this book to anyone interestedin Helen, her career or the workings of the film industry & theatrein general.
Looking forward to the release of the audiobook!
Disappointed... - By: Verite, 28 Jan 2008 
I enjoyed the book, HOWEVER, it really is disjointed & I was constantly left with a sense of going backwards/forwards/sideways etc. The layout & flow of the book does not work - it's not chronological. From my point of view the book is disappointing given the expectation one has of the magnificent character & actress that she is.
Excellent stuff from a brilliant woman. - By: Kathleen Geoghegan, 07 Dec 2007 I throughly enjoyed this biography. It was refreshing to have acesss to many photographs which only served to enrich the writing. Photographs can say much more than words sometimes, & they brought her family alive to me. I felt Helen's writing was interesting, crafted & down-to-earth. I was left feeling that I knew a little more about one of my favourite actresses of all-time. Many thanks for this Helen, one of the most enlightening & engrossing biographies I've read for a very long time.
A very different autobiography but great unseen photos - By: S. Campbell, 20 Nov 2007 
Having just finished this book I can say that when I saw the layout I was a little dissapointed. The book is very informative & Mirren is very honestin her writing although a few chapters are not so interesting. A great selection of photos & images from the career of one of the countrys most treasured actresses.
