"The Last Station" Premiere (Mirren! McAvoy! Duff!) by berndt2

The Curzon Mayfair is a smaller cinema, a couple of tube stops away from the more crowd-friendly Leicester Square. But there are so few of these left before I leave London that a premiere ANYWHERE is one I can’t really justify missing. And this one did have an Academy Award Winner in attendance.

The movie is ‘The Last Station’, and that’s pretty much the full extent of the red carpet for this one (not shown – passing traffic. This premiere actually had passing traffic!) Though note that there were Paps – and in a rare split/overlapping formation, too.

Dame Helen Mirren arrives. She can’t see Yellow Cap Guy, she can’t immediately see the red carpet, and accordingly is not sure she’s even at the right place. I can sympathise!

Silhouette of Helen Mirren. She’s won four SAGs, four BAFTAs, three Golden Globes, four Emmies and an Oscar. Owing to the crop of this shot, I’m actually going to claim that she had them in two large duffel bags she carried with her. No, really…

Actress Anne-Marie Duff was also in the movie (and was at the premiere for) “Nowhere Boy”. (I’ll readily admit that I know more British Actors as a result of movie premieres than watching movies or television. That TV license really isn’t worth it, though I do love Radio1)

Anne-Marie Duff is married to fellow actor James McAvoy, who is also in this film, and in this photo has his arm around her. They met on the TV series ‘Shameless’ in 2003, according to The Internet, which knows such things.

Actor James McAvoy, who was the male lead in the movie ‘Wanted’ with Angelina Jolie, some hybrid deer/human thing in Chronicles of Narnia, and ‘Atonement’ with Keira Knightley. Out of those three, I only watched Chronicles of Narnia, and in that film Santa Claus showed up and gave the kids weapons. Yes, weapons. Yes, THE Santa Claus. (”Santa, did you bring me that helicopter gunship I asked for Christmas?” “No kid, here’s a bow and arrow and a sword. Now go”)

The ambassadors for Denmark and Andorra apparently dropped by and were pleased by the attention they received. (Actually, I have no idea who they are. The internet is likewise uncertain)

The guy on the right is Bill Kenwright. I had to look up who he is. He’s the chairman of Everton Football Club which has little, if any relevance to movie about Leo Tolstoi that I can determine. Could be one of this ‘six degrees of separation’ things?

Dame Helen Mirren returns, as promised, to sign some autographs. The premiere took place at a cinema with a front entrance that opened onto a two-way street only one side of which was closed to traffic, so they moved autograph-hunting fans across the road to her immediate left. They don’t really do that sort of thing for James Cameron films, I’m told.

The three majors pose for a group shot. I assume somebody minded their seats for the session about to start?

So… it was a cold one, a short one, and I’ll be honest and say that having to shoot around through-traffic, taxis, and trailers wasn’t the most awesome of experiences. Still… it’s a premiere, I think there are only four left before I leave London, and they all count.

Accordingly, it joins The archive

Blur – No Distance Left To Run – The Guys from Blur!
Sherlock Holmes – J.Law! R.DowneyJnr! G.Ritchie! R.McAdams!
Avatar – James Cameron! In Colour! In Widescreen!
St Trinians2 – Sarah Harding! Her Dress! A nearly all-female cast!