On top of all the awards and accolades for her magnificent acting, Judi Dench was also knighted by the Queen back in 1998. A 10-time BAFTA winner, Dench is often regarded as one of Britain's best actresses. Some of her finest roles are detailed in our top 5 list below when it comes to Dench's greatest film efforts.
A veteran stage actor, Dench had only acted in a handful of major films until she appeared as "M" in 1995's GoldenEye — a role she continued to play in eight James Bond films until her final cameo appearance in Spectre (2015). From there, the current generation of younger cinephiles have seen her all over Hollywood films — even some not-so-revered films like 2019's Cats. But back to the hits — here's a breakdown of Dench's finest films to date.
5 Belfast (2021)
Belfast was one of the best films released in 2021 and rightfully earned Dench yet another Oscar nod for her charming, humorous supporting turn as the most lovable grandma. The film's overall strength and storytelling have been acknowledged through awards circuits, but it is Kenneth Branagh’s vision that drives the movie. It seeps in the nostalgia for an era he once lived through: the Troubles in Northern Ireland, specifically in Belfast. It was a delight seeing Branagh accept his Oscar win for Best Original Screenplay for a film that was carried by its superb stars — particulary Dench. Her heartbreaking/heartwarming scene at the end where she tells her grown daughter to go "and never look back" is just the icing on the cake in this monochrome masterpiece.
4 Notes on a Scandal (2006)
Two of the finest actors in Hollywood teamed up for Notes on a Scandal, which tells the intertwined story of Barbara Covett (Dench) and Sheba Hart (Cate Blanchett). Sheba is a new teacher who seems very out of her element at the high school that Barbara has been teaching at for years. Barbara is a very lonely sort who seems to suffocate anyone who gets close to her. Sheba doesn't realize this is the case, and things take an unexpected turn when Barbara realizes that Sheba has been having an affair with one of her students. Married to a loving husband (Bill Nighy), they have two children — and when Barbara realizes how much Sheba has to lose, she seems to cast a spell over her when she tells Sheba she knows about her infidelities. It's a juicy plot that only gets juicier from there. Dench and Blachett are dynamite together on-screen. If only they could team up for another drama soon!
3 Casino Royale (2006)
With the last few James Bond films beforehand being critical failures, Casino Royale was well-received and pulled more than $600 million against its reported $150 million budget. Golden Globe nominee Daniel Craig played a darker, brooding, amateur agent in Bond, and went toe-to-toe with Le Chiffre, in a masterful villain performance from Mads Mikkelsen. But let's not forget Dench, who reprises her role with a certain ferocity not completely realized leading up to this 2006 film. "God, I miss the Cold War" is just one of her memorable lines in Casino Royale, which is commonly listed among the best in the franchise's 25-film history — and one of the best action films of all time.
2 Philomena (2013)
Based on the 2009 investigative book by BBC correspondent Martin Sixsmith, The Lost Child of Philomena Lee, Philomena focuses on the efforts of Philomena Lee (Dench), mother to a boy conceived out of wedlock and given away for adoption in the U.S. In following church doctrine, she was forced to sign a contract that wouldn't allow for any sort of inquiry into the son's whereabouts. After starting a family years later in England and moving on with her life, Lee meets Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), the BBC reporter with whom she decides to discover her long-lost son. This acclaimed drama got plenty of love from the Oscars — and rightfully so. Dench's on-screen chemistry with Coogan is a delight to watch.
1 Shakespeare in Love (1998)
Remember when Shakespeare in Love beat out Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan for Best Picture at the Oscars? That win might still be up for dispute, but there's no denying Dench deserved her Best Supporting Actress trophy that year for her scene-stealing turn as Queen Elizabeth I. Shakespeare in Love is the imagined tale of how "Bill" Shakespeare wrote about the star-crossed lovers of Verona in Romeo and Juliet. What experiences could have provided enough inspiration to produce such a work? It all culminates in the scene of the play's rendition, which is a hoot to watch. The end result solidified Joseph Fiennes and Gwyneth Paltrow as top-tier performers, while reminding us why Dench is still at the top of her game after so many years of acting.