Jan Stuart -- Newsday.com

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Jan Stuart

And now, to crown the 44th king ...

October 3, 2006

Every film festival has its unofficial prom queen and king, actors whose shadow dominates by virtue of a single commanding role or by seeming to be everywhere at once. Media acclaim (and opening night glare) have already installed Helen Mirren as queen of the 44th New York Film Festival for her work as real-life royal Elizabeth II in "The Queen." For king, I would coronate the indefatigable French star Michel Piccoli, who effervesces with the joy of his craft in Manoel de Oliveira's compact lark "Belle Toujours," and provides the chief reason to see Otar Iosseliani's overstated social satire "Gardens in Autumn."