Is he speaking to Sienna Miller, his real life fianc e, who called off their engagement because of his “Alfie” behaviour? Or is he speaking as Dan, the pretentious columnist, to Alice Ayres (Natalie Portman), in the modern day love story, “Closer” part filmed in the City of London’s Postman’s Park? Whatever the answer this secluded green spot, once a lunchtime haven for postal workers in Victorian times is a recently famed London film location. It embraces the defunct graveyard of St Botolph Aldersgate, near where the Reverend John Wesley’s “heart was strangely warmed” enough to found the Methodist movement. However it’s the wall of plaques, a national memorial to heroic men and women an idea conceived by radical Victorian artist GF Watts in 1887, which attracts visitors. One such plaque reads Alice Ayres.
Had the Closer scriptwriters decided for an Alice and Dan matrimony they would have only needed to move a hundred metres to the splendid church of St Bartholomew the Great. Known as St Julian’s in “Four Weddings and A Funeral”, where Charle’s (Hugh Grant) hapless wedding to Henrietta is overshadowed by his love for the ever-sensual Carrie (Andie McDowell). The 12th century Romanesque arches and bulging rounded columns of this Norman creation, have survived the Great Fire of 1666 and two World War blitzes. Founded by Rahere an Augustinian monk in 1123, the circular pillars once absorbed the dulcet sounds of the monk’s choir as they crooned their offices. The dignified atmosphere and simplistic beauty of this oldest church in London created a perfect setting for the funeral scene of Christopher Marlowe, mistakenly murdered in “Shakespeare in Love.” (Also starred Judith Dench as Elizabeth the First and Colin Firth as the Earl of Wessex.).
Firth plays a more subdued role as Mark Darcy in Bridget Jones Diary the Edge of Reason. His girlfriend, Bridget, (Renee Zellwigger) is splashed by a passing taxi in front of the Henry the V111 gates of St Bartholomew Hospital, which fringes the circumference of Smithfield meat markets. Derived from the Saxon, Smoothfields, the area has witnessed Protestant and Catholic religious executions, jousting tournaments, fairs and revelry. Ideal setting for further grizzleness in Guy Ritchie’s (Madonna’s husband)’ Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and bleakness of Charles Dicken’s Oliver Twist, and the East London family and friend reminiscences of butcher Jack Dodds (Michael Caine, the original Alfie), his son (Ray Winstone) and Uncle Ray (Bob Hoskins), in Graham Swifts adapted novel “Last Orders”.
Heading eastward back past Postman’s Park, the remnants of the city of London’s Roman wall juxtaposed against modern designed walls of glass and light, straddle the heart of the city’s financial district. A town criers call away, the mediaeval Guildhall, seat of municipal government for over 800 years, recently had the foyer used as a substitute for a Chicago bank in “Derailed”, when Jennifer Anniston and Clive Owen escape a blackmailed affair. In 1936 the Lord Mayor’s coach was loaned to Alfred Hitchcock for the film “Sabotage”. Mansion House, the one-year home of the Lord Mayor displayed its gleaming cut glass chandeliers in the film “Golden Bowl” starring a Nick Nolte billionaire, and his heiress daughter Maggie (Kate Beckinsale) in an entangled Henry James love story.
Opposite Mansion House, the domineering walls of the Bank of England and City of London police motorcycle outriders supporting the limousine transporting “M”, Ministry of Defence supremo (Judith Dench) can be seen in Tomorrow Never Dies. “M” sets Bond (Pierce Brosnan), the mission of “pumping” information from Paris Carver (Desperate Housewife, Terri Hatcher) the wife of ruthless media baron Elliot Carver (Jonathon Pryce).
Flanking the Bank of England is the impressive Victorian – Corinthian portico of the Royal Exchange, used in the opening scenes of the apocalyptic nightmare “28 Days Later” where a nude man wanders around a deserted London Central oblivious to a viral outbreak that has wiped out the country. Behind the Royal Exchange Bridget and Mark elope on a “snow covered” Cornhill in the final scenes of Bridget Jones Diary.
Two hundred metres east as the “Russell Crowe” flies, leads to the Horace Jones designed marketplace of Leadenhall, which covers a Roman basilica and forum. Crowe (Terry Thorne in Proof of Life, with Meg Ryan) displaying a bandaged forehead after an escapade from Chechnya, negotiates a kidnap and ransom proposition in a Leadenhall market restaurant. Bulls Head Passage is the setting for Harry Potter (Daniel Ratcliffe) and Hagrid (Robbie Coltraine), to magically appear in Diagon Alley so that Harry can acquire his first wand for Hogwarts (J.K. Rowling’s Philosopher’s Stone). Lara Croft flashes through the markets on her motorbike in Tombraider, and John Wayne was there in 1975 for the detective thriller Brannigan.
The intricate Victorian wrought iron designs of Leadenhall are situated next to the silver aluminium barrelled lifts of the 1986 Richard Rogers designed Lloyd’s Insurance building. Also used as double for a Kuala Lumpar building when Art thief expert Robert “Mac” MacDougal (Sean Connery) teams up with insurance investigator, Virginia “Gin” Back, (Catherine Zeta Jones) for a multimillion-pound heist. Connery (Augustus de Winter) and Lloyds come together again in a modernised remake of “The Avengers” where Ralph Fiennes (John Steed) and Uma Thurman (Emma Peel), thwart de Winter’s attempts to control world weather.
Any film these days, which has a London scene, is almost sure to show the Swiss Re Building better known as “The Gherkin”. This 508 feet high eco friendly glass cigar, office building, is now as familiar a landmark to London as the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, the Opera House to Sydney, or the Empire State to New York.
Livery Companies, which commenced with the Worshipful Company of Weavers in 1155 and now total 105, are the essence of the City of London’s Trades and standards and Local government administration. Their colourful dress (or Livery) and atmospheric function halls add to the estimated growth of the film industry in London, estimated to be worth over £10 billion by 2010. The Corporation of London has set up its own department to deal with the requirements of Filmmakers, like permissions, policing, residential complaints, local government laws, cleaning, Port of London and Civil Aviation requirements.
Rumours abound about a movie version of Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. Perhaps Sienna Miller will get an offer to play the role of cryptologist Sophie Neveu. An obvious choice for filming the 12th century rounded section of Temple Church. Maybe the Filmmakers will change their mind, but in London they are spoilt for choice.
