The Queen
Tradition prepared her. Change will define her.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Actress, Dame Helen Mirren gives a spellbinding performance in The Queen, the provocative story behind one of the most public tragedies of our time - the sudden death of Princess Diana. In the wake of Diana's death, the very private and tradition-bound Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren) finds herself in conflict with the new Prime Minister, the slickly modern and image-conscious Tony Blair. The Queen, also starring Academy Award nominee James Cromwell (Best Supporting Actor, Babe, 1995), takes you inside the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government for a captivating look at a vulnerable human being in her darkest hour, as a nation grieving for its People's Princess waits to see what its leaders will do. Suspenseful, heartfelt and riveting, it's a fascinating story you won't soon forget.
Member Reviews
Worth watching - dctor
A really interesting movie about how the Royal Family averted disaster after Diana's death. Elizabeth must make choices that stray away from tradition but ultimately maintain the monarchy. Helen Mirren gives an outstanding performance that brings viewers as close to the Queen as would ever be possible.Fascinating, successful docudrama is that it doesn't play favorites or choose sides - aj79
This is quite an unusual film in that it focuses entirely on the reaction to Princess Diana's death. With The Queen, British director Stephen Frears sheds light on one of England's most misunderstood public figures. The Queen pays serious attention to how an ancient monarchy operates in a modern country briskly uninterested in (and even disapproving of) day-to-day Windsor life, and how, really, it took the People's Grief to breach walls of mutual disregard. While Mirren is getting the bulk of the attention, The Queen has a lot of elements that make it irresistibly regal. The script offers a well-rounded character study, the direction is flawless, and the rest of the cast, including Michael Sheen as an affable Tony Blair, all make the film a surprising delight. Anyway, The Queen isn't exactly fast-moving but Stephen Frears directs with warmth, compassion, and an eye for detail. A fine movie, in many ways a peculiarly British film, for which Helen Mirren won an Academy AwardMemorable - mfri
The Queen is a skillfull portrait of the media's effect on our perception of events - as well as a good story about three people we thought we knew: Queen Elizabeth, Tony Blair - and Diana, Princess of Wales. The film not only illuminates Elizabeth's personal struggle to uphold the monarchy but our understanding of how accustomed we have become to fulfilling our fantasties through public figures. I was skeptical that even Helen Mirren could breathe life into the Queen but left this movie captivated by Queen Elizabeth's persona much as I was by Diana's at the time of her death. Michael Sheen is outstanding as Tony Blair. There were times during the film that I was as uncomfortable in the Queen's presence as the Prime Minister was. Don't pass up this movie just because "you know how it turns out." You'll be thinking about it long after you leave the theater and certainly the next time you watch and listen to Tony Blair on television!
Member Reviews
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Worth watching - dctor
A really interesting movie about how the Royal Family averted disaster after Diana's death. Elizabeth must make choices that stray away from tradition but ultimately maintain the monarchy. Helen Mirren gives an outstanding performance that brings viewers as ...Fascinating, successful docudrama is that it doesn't play favorites or choose sides - aj79
This is quite an unusual film in that it focuses entirely on the reaction to Princess Diana's death. With The Queen, British director Stephen Frears sheds light on one of England's most misunderstood public figures. The Queen pays serious attention to how ...Memorable - mfri
The Queen is a skillfull portrait of the media's effect on our perception of events - as well as a good story about three people we thought we knew: Queen Elizabeth, Tony Blair - and Diana, Princess of Wales. The film not only illuminates Elizabeth's personal ...