Oh Captain My Captain

Prince Charles could barely contain his excitement as he mingled with the cast of the naval drama Master and Commander: The Far Side Of The World. His Royal Highness - who is a vice admiral in the Royal Navy by the way - told the director Peter Weir how much he had been looking forward to seeing a film about naval life. He also laughed and joked with Russell Crowe, who plays the starring role of a British naval captain. On entering the cinema, the Prince was given an enthusiastic welcome. As soon as the National Anthem had finished and silence fell, a female guest called out: "We love you Charles" - much to the amusement of the audience. Russell Crowe was forced to leave centre stage to the prince but was nevertheless greeted with enthusiasm. Crowe said he was looking forward to seeing what "the man on the street" thinks of the film, which sees him as a captain in Nelson's navy, tasked with rooting out a heavily-gunned French privateer somewhere in the Pacific. The actor was accompanied by his pregnant wife Danielle Spencer, and is due to take time off work to be with his wife when their baby is born. "I am looking forward to it," he grinned. Never one to let a small thing like work spoil his fun, Crowe punctuated filming Master and Commander by organising games of touch rugby every Sunday to help the cast bond with each other. Weir added: "Russell is wonderful to work with - he is full of ideas," said director Peter Weir, though he admitted that the actor's reputation for being "unpredictable" gave the film a suspenseful edge. Further adulation came from James D'Arcy, who plays Crowe's First Lieutenant. He described Crowe as "the best actor I have ever seen", while Richard E Grant went even further, branding him "the greatest working actor at the moment." The fiver'll be in the post, boys.