132 | May• 2019
RD RECOMMENDS
The Chaperone (Drama)
F
rom the writer/director of
Downton Abbey, and based on
the best-selling novel by Laura
Moriarty, comes a tantalising
1920s-inspired story focused on two
very different women. When 15-year-
old future screen starlet Louise
Brooks (Haley Lu Richardson) needs
a chaperone to protect her
reputation during a long, hot summer
studying modern dance in New York,
teetotaller Norma Carlisle (Elizabeth
McGovern) quickly volunteers. Louise
is looking for fun and adventure
while Norma is secretly searching
through her mysterious past. It’s a
delightful romp with heart and
fabulous fashion.T
his engrossing insight into
Sir Ian McKellen’s early life
and more than six decades
working in theatre and film is
delightfully charming. Knighted in
1991, the iconic actor has starred in
everything from Gods and Monsters
to the massive movie franchises Lord
of the Rings, The Hobbit and the
X-Men. This candid documentary was
edited down from a 14-hour interview.
While well known as the leading
classical and Shakespearean actor of
his generation, McKellen has also been
an impressive political activist for the
gay rights movement and now, in his
80s, is an inspirational teacher.McKellen: Playing the Part
(DVD Documentary)