PLOT: After the election of Tony Blair as prime minister, the British royal family is thrown into a crisis over its clumsy handling of the death of Princess Diana.
The Queen is an unusual, and exceptional, film.
It is unusual because it dramatizes the lives of the current British royal family -- in particular Queen Elizabeth II -- and because it does so with serious intent. It is not a muckraking expose, nor a satire, nor mere sensationalism to amuse the masses.
It is exceptional because of the quality of the performances -- in particular Oscar-bound Helen Mirren as Elizabeth -- and because of the quality of thought that went into crafting the story and mounting the production.
With an uncanny skill and grace, Mirren summons an intensely human and believable Elizabeth. The physicality is established instantly in a scene where we see her, in regal robes, posing for an official portrait painting.
The emotional and intellectual aspects of the woman are established throughout the drama. There is not even a millisecond where Mirren seems false. This is a true and towering performance, not an impersonation.
As written by Peter Morgan and directed by British master Stephen Frears, The Queen virtually picks up where another Morgan/Frears collaboration left off. The British TV movie The Deal (2003) dealt with the arrangement Tony Blair establishedwith Gordon Brown to
share power if New Labour could upset years of Tory rule.
The Queen gets underway when Blair wins a landslide election in May 1997. The excellent Michael Sheen reprises his role from The Deal, playing Blair as the hip, youngish new face of British politics.
One of his first duties is to meet with Queen Elizabeth to establish his right to form a new government. Awkward, wide-eyed and dismissive of royal etiquette, Blair bungles his first audience. His wife Cherie (Helen McCrory) is disdainful of the process, thinking that the monarchy has outlived its usefulness in the modern world.
The heart of the story being told here will vault Blair to a higher level of intrigue and diplomacy and enrich the dialogue about the modern world versus the traditional. The film fast-forwards four months to the death of Princess Diana in that tragic car crash in Paris.
From the moment the news breaks to the aftermath of the state funeral a week later, the Blair camp and the royals are contrasted. Blair and his handler (Mark Bazeley) sense the image crisis brewing in the public realm as the royals seem to officially ignore the tragedy.
The queen, Prince Philip (James Cromwell), Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) and the Queen Mother (Sylvia Syms) all seem incapable of handling the situation, especially from their retreat at Balmoral in the Scottish highlands.
There is no historical record of the intimate family and inner-circle conversations, either among the astute Blairs or the stodgy royals.
But the film, which was meticulously researched according to the filmmakers, has the ring of truth. The dramatic bits are given
Frears has such a delicate touch and measured tone that, with the exception of the portrayals of Philip as a boor and Charles as a simpering idiot, The Queen reads as an intimate piece of living history.
Elizabeth is humanized, emotional warts and all, but in a sympathetic manner and with an eye to dealing with larger ethical issues.
BOTTOM LINE: This finely crafted film has depth and significant value as a way to understand public events, sweeping aside myth to get at what really matters. And Helen Mirren gives us a performance for the ages.
(This film is rated G)
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