The Queen's Sister
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DVD Cover Information Actor: Lucy Cohu, Toby Stephens Brand: Warner Brothers DVD: Region Code 1 Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo; English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Widescreen Picture Format: Unknown Running Time: 95 minutes DVD Release Date: 2007-01-16 Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Model: E2795 Studio: BBC Worldwide Product features:
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| New | New Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $10.02 | ||
| Used | Used Usually ships in 1-2 business days | $5.99 |
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Movie Reviews of The Queen's Sister
Movie Review: Five Stars for the Featurette! One for this Appalling Turkey!
Summary: 2 Stars
Has the BBC taken leave of its senses?
It must have, since it has subordinated an excellent full-length film, "Royal Scandal," narrated by Ian Richardson, and featuring such notable actors as Michael Kitchen, to a ghastly pseudo-biopic about Princess Margaret. "Royal Scandal" tells the true and tragic story of Princess Caroline of Brunswick, who had the misfortune to be married to the dissolute Prince Regent, who became George IV, and petitioned to divorce his wife. Thus the woman who would be Queen of England was forced to listen in person to her reputation being ruined in the House of Lords. Her husband was not even present. The film is fascinating, amusing, beautifully acted (with such a cast!) and lovely to look at. The writers, who have used the actual words from the correspondence and court transcripts have created a cinematic gem, which surely deserved to be featured as first-run on a DVD; however, the Beeb marketing geniuses doubtless thought it was not important enough to peddle to their former colonists.
Instead, they have given us a trashy film based upon the exploitative tabloid headlines of a later age than the 1950s. The story begins with a fast reference to the romance between Princess Margaret and Group Captain Peter Townsend, without dwelling upon the pressures that were put upon her and how she was forced to renounce him publicly (She was very young.). The director also had the bad judgment to have the actress read the princess's words, rather than letting Margaret's tragic voice, broadcast worldwide in 1955, speak for itself. The movie then jumps to her life in the 'fast lane' and her pursuit of Anthony Armstrong-Jones and subsequent unhappy marriage. Next we see a Margaret growing older and more dissipated as she turns to one disastrous affair after another. Ironically, as she ages, the makeup makes her look more like the actual older Princess Margaret. When we first meet her, however, she bears a strong resemblance to Mrs. Simpson! (One only has to look at the early photographs and the portraits by Cecil Beaton to see how truely lovely Princess Margaret was in her youth!)
Since the writing is so superficial and motiveless, the actors, who are more than competent, have a thankless uphill task to perform. Not even Toby Stephens as Anthony Armstrong-Jones can save this train wreck!
Buy this DVD for "Royal Scandal" and give the scandalous feature a miss!