The Queen
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Movie Reviews of The Queen
Movie Review: "Uneasy The Head That Wears The Crown" Henry IV, part 2
Summary: 5 Stars
"Go ahead, admit it. Between the kerchiefs and the corgis, the sensible clothes and the semi-detached smile, Britain's Queen Elizabeth II has never been mistaken for the most dramatic monarch in the world, never given much of a hint that there might be a Major Motion Picture in her life. But this immovable object has met the unstoppable force that is actress Helen Mirren, one of the great masters of modern screen acting. In a commanding performance that is as compelling as it is unexpected, she has turned "The Queen" into something you never imagined it could be: a crackling dramatic story that's intelligent, thoughtful and moving."
Kenneth Turan
Helen Mirren is extraordinary. Not only does she have the ability to take on the appearance of Elizabeth II, The Queen, she is able to reveal in small bits and pieces the humanity of Elizabeth II. Helen Mirren has said that in portraying a living person she imagines that person as a masterpiece painting. She is then able to take the brush and paint as she sees fit.
The underlying story is the week the 'People's Princess', Diana dies. Tony Blair, as played by Michael Sheen, has been elected the new Prime Minister. Sheen's performance is sensational. He msut tell The Queen that she is mishandeling the death of Diana. At their first meeting the Queen has reminded Mr Blair, he is her tenth Prime Minister, and he needs to live up to the likes of Winston Churchill. And, this becomes Prime Minister Tony Blair's fulfilling moment. Diana and The Queen had always been at odds. The Queen wore her emotions tightly locked up and Diana wore her emotions on her sleeve. Prince Phillip, as played by James Cromwell is aloof and distant and has no regard for the ex-Princess at all. The ploy to stay in Scotland at Balmoral Castle, for the children's sake does not work. The public is clamoring for some statement from the Queen. The Queen asks advice of the Queen mother played by Sylvia Syms, but she, too,has a stiff upper lip. Prince Charles, Alex Jennings, a more modern man, asks Tony Blair to speak to the Queen to provide a statement that is befittng the Princess. A statement is prepared, but we can see the Queen has some misgivings. The public responds to the Queen's words.
"Helen Mirren's allure lies not in finding what's regal in every woman she plays, but in finding what's womanly in every royal." Entertainment Weekly
I loved almost everyone in this movie. Prince Phillip not as much. It was riveting at times and so revealing of the Monarchy that does not, can not, reveal its private nature. The movie is funny and touching in ways you can't predict. Stephen Frears as director, has completed a beautifully moving film, rich in detail. He uses real footage of the funeral and of Diana. We are finally allowed to see the real dignity in the Queen. The current state of the world is referenced when the Queen reminds Tony Blair that the 'people can turn',"one day, quite suddenly, the same thing will happen to you." I will never look at the real Queen Elizabeth II the same way again after seeing Helen Mirren's portrayal. This may be the greatest gift Elizabeth II could have received.
Highly Recommended. prisrob 5-3-07
Elizabeth I DVD
High Fidelity DVD
Movie Review: Portrait of a Queen
Summary: 5 Stars
"The Queen" (2006) starring Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II has got to be one of the most realistic and revealing portrayals ever of any monarch on film. Mirren effortlessly becomes Elizabeth; the few stirring weeks captured in the film tell the viewer much about the entire life of the queen as well as the nature of monarchy. Too often filmmakers, particularly those from Hollywood, project the misconception that being a royal means getting to have everything you want and ordering people around in a haphazard manner. In "The Queen," Her Majesty is portrayed as addressing everyone, especially her domestic staff, with exquisite courtesy and consideration. From what I have read about the private lives of the various royal families such behavior on the part of a sovereign is much closer to the reality than any crass barking of orders. This is not to mitigate moral shortcomings; I am referring only to surface behavior, which nevertheless can and does indicate one's general attitude towards others. Elizabeth II comes across as first and foremost a servant of her people.
The film opens with the Queen having her portrait painted, sending the message that the story one is about to see is a portrait come to life. And indeed it is. It is also the portrait of monarchy in the modern world. Tradition is confronted with waves of constant change; some concessions must be made in order to survive. The scenes of the royal family "at home" almost reminded me of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette at the Tuileries--living in a gilded cage with no actual freedom or power. And yet Mirren subtly and dynamically captures the personality of the quiet little woman who embodies an ancient institution which only her presence and her dignity can salvage. What is especially fascinating is how the queen wins over socialist Tony Blair; he becomes her champion and the savior of the monarchy. It called to mind how dedicated revolutionaries like Mirabeau and Barnave were deeply moved after meeting Marie-Antoinette and wanted to do everything they could to help her.
What is especially compelling about "The Queen" is that it involves events which many people today have lived through, with the main characters being a reigning sovereign and a sitting prime minister. It evoked memories of the day Princess Diana died. I thought people were being a bit harsh on the queen even then and I saw nothing wrong with the royal family staying at Balmoral to grieve in private, although to everyone else in the world it was a major calamity. Queen Elizabeth's devotion to duty and her dedication to the vow she made to serve her people are shown in sharp contrast to Diana's futile and tragic quest for personal happiness.
I am always annoyed when people compare Diana to Marie-Antoinette, calling the Queen of France a "Lady Di before her time." Yes, they both loved children, fashion, and had many charities. But when her world fell apart, Marie-Antoinette steadfastly stayed at her husband's side, although everything in her wanted to get her family away from danger. But Louis would not leave his people and Marie-Antoinette would not leave her husband, although she had many opportunities to escape. Diana had very different ideas about duty and marriage. Marie-Antoinette would not leave; Diana did. I do not condemn Diana; she had a lot with which to contend. Queen Elizabeth II, however, is of the old school, when duty, honor, discretion and commitment came before the pursuit of happiness.
Movie Review: Great acting, Great Writing. Great movie. Terrible director
Summary: 5 Stars
The movie was excellent... even for those of us who did not care for the way the Royal family treated Princess Di. Helen Mirren gave an Oscar winning, tasteful, believable performance. I also think the part of Philip was right on the nose. His malice and narrow minded, out of touch arrogance was perfectly portrayed in this movie. It was nice to see that his personality was not soft-soaped.
The writing and portrayal of Tony Blair was very compelling. It seemed like most of the movie was angled from either his point of view or that of his advisers. The only problem I had with the acting on Blair's character was that the acting was a bit overdone like he was some wide eyed kid on his very first solo visit to a candy store.
The hair wasn't quite right on Blair or Charles. It would have helped the feel of the movie if the hairdressers and makeup had done as good a job on them as they did on Helen Mirren for the role of the Queen. It would not have required much effort to comb their hair more like the persons they were portraying.
The writers did well on all characters except Prince Charles. They didn't give the actor much to work with on lines. The writing fell flat on that character... even for Charles who's already a flat personality to begin with.
Otherwise, it was a superb job of acting and writing.
However, the director, Stephen Frears is an unkempt, ill-mannered, lowbrow slob in serious need of lessons in hygiene. He looks like some boozer from skid row. From his disheveled appearance, attitude, commentary and lack of personal hygiene, it is obvious that the actors and the writing team were the ones who made this movie so successful... not the director.
It amazes me that anyone would hire this director, much less pay him a salary. All you need to do is watch the bonus material to see and hear what a swine this man is (on or off the set)... not to mention his bad manners, bad on-camera etiquette and slovenly appearance to go with his tasteless attitude. He didn't even have the decency to clean up for the DVD interview. On top of that he was frequently scratching and messing with his hair and face while on camera. He is the closest match to a human version of Homer Simpson I have ever seen. He spoke of someone looking like a clown... he should have looked in the mirror.
Another person who had no business working on this particular film was Alan MacDonald, the production designer. He had the unmitigated audacity to declare on the bonus material interview, that the 4 billion people worldwide who were mourning Diana were all hysterical. He said it with such utter disdain and condescending attitude toward the billions of people... it was wholly offensive.
Apparently, math and human compassion are not his forte... otherwise he would have realized that the person with the psychological shortcomings was himself... not the rest of the world. He made no contribution to this film that could not have been better done by any other production designer. Frankly, I would think twice about buying any future movie which either of these men are associated with. Their very presence spoils anything they are associated with. They would both be more at home in the low end of the adult film industry.
But don't let that dissuade you on the film. The acting and writing more than made up for the shortcomings of the director and production designer.
Movie Review: A tragic week in the history of The Royal Family and the world
Summary: 5 Stars
*no spoilers*
We get very excited when an Oscar contender is found--they are hard to find nowadays. Now that we are just weeks away from 2007, we finally saw a film that has history, humanity, drama and a charismatic touch. "The Queen" is one of the best films we've reviewed this year. It is such an entertaining film and we are so eager to tell you about it.
Story:
"The Queen" tells the "behind the scenes" story of how the British Royal Family and the new Tony Blair's government dealt within the first week of the death of Princess Diana on August 31, 1997. An event that shocked the world in so many levels, but especially for the British Royal Family who struggled to keep things quite. The movie focuses on Queen Elizabeth's (Helen Mirren) poor handle of the aftermath and her differences with her new prime minister (Michael Sheen) who wanted her to stop hiding and to face the nation during those difficult times.
Review:
There have been long speculations and conspiracy theories about Princess Diana's death. After 9 years, from time to time, we see TV shows researching the circumstances of her accident and vague conclusions of who is to blame for such a tragedy. "The Queen" is not about conspiracy theories, but rather about an alternative story of how the British Royal Family--especially Queen Elizabeth II--showed the world how unprepared and indifferent they were to the British People and the world to deal with a national tragedy. The movie shows the true extraordinary love the world felt for Princess Diana which is something that made some of the members of the royalty very concern.
The way the story is told (almost day by day after her death) creates a realistic feel to it--almost like we were watching the events in real time similar to the movie "United 93." The real footage flashbacks are perfectly in place to help the story develop and create drama. "The Queen" also shows the British Royal Family as an orthodox old fashion family who didn't want to change their ways despise the press attacking them for that whole week. Wee see a "behind the iron curtain" view of who they really are; just ordinary people after all-- sometimes their behavior creates funny moments throughout the film.
The acting is one of best features of "The Queen." Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen did a terrific job impersonating these complex and famous characters--they are very look alike to say the least. There is good chemistry while together on the screen. We see them struggling and fighting their own demons. They wanted to make things right--in their own way--but sometimes they couldn't communicate that to each other. We feel there is an Oscar buzz on any of these characters.
Great accomplishments we see in the technical department. The movie is just too darn pretty to look at. We see beautiful British landscapes, great costume design and excellent photography on screen. The editing is also fluid and meticulous.
The Verdict:
A tragic week in the history of The Royal Family and the world, "The Queen" gives us its take on the week after the death of the People's Princess. The story is told almost moment by moment, tear by tear felt by everyone who knew and loved her. This movie might generate some controversy and criticism for its accuracy, but they cannot take away the fact that the film is intelligent, symbolic, adventurous and not afraid to come with its own conclusions.
Movie Review: Good show, ma'am. Good show indeed.
Summary: 5 Stars
F. Scott Fitzgerald famously wrote, "Let me tell you about the rich. They are different from you and I." For the House of Windsor, that difference is magnified a hundredfold. Trained fastidiously to be the living representatives of a thousand years of British history, cocooned from everyday life by their station and privilege, the members of the Royal Family adopted a becoming public dignity and reserve that served them well in the dark days of the London Blitz. Unfortunately, that reserve doesn't play so well in the democratized Britain of the Information Age, which makes them appear cold and unlikable while simultaneously blowing the cover off the times when they, shall we say, strain against the bonds of royal protocol. Stephen Frears' "The Queen" masterfully depicts the event that finally brought home to the Royal Family the power of the media and the people--the tragic death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in the late summer of 1997. Remembering Diana as a selfish, neurotic troublemaker, Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren), Prince Philip (James Cromwell) and the Queen Mother (Sylvia Syms) have no conception of how beloved she was by the people, simply because she possessed the common touch the rest of them so conspicuously lack. Ensconced in luxurious isolation at Balmoral Castle, they maintain a starchy silence that new Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) recognizes immediately as a public relations catastrophe. Peter Morgan's superb screenplay details the frantic efforts of Blair to get the initially uncomprehending Elizabeth to reach out to her grieving subjects. While Philip and the Queen Mum pressure Elizabeth to stand her ground (Philip mocks the list of mourners at Diana's funeral as "a chorus line of pop stars and homosexuals"), Blair's anti-monarchist wife Cherie (Helen McCrory) urges him to let the Royal Family hang itself publicly as "a bunch of freeloading, anachronistic nutters." This is one of the most involving stories of political machination ever put on film, and extraordinarily courageous in that it portrays still-living heads of state in ways that are sometimes far less than flattering (will Prince Philip dare sue?). All the performances are a resounding affirmation of the glories of British Rep (and in this I include Cromwell, the one American ringer in the cast). But the film stands or falls in its portrayal of Elizabeth, and with the wonderful, fabulous Helen Mirren playing her, it not only stands but soars. Mirren won the Best Actress Award at the Venice Film Festival for her performance, and if there's any justice she should start rehearsing her Oscar speech. Mirren is one of the great living masters in portraying deep emotion behind a dignified facade, and "The Queen" gives her an unprecedented opportunity to do just that. (Mirren's Elizabeth gives us the textbook definition of "noblesse oblige:" standing at the gates of Buckingham Palace, reading the placards that essentially accuse her of being Diana's murderer, she makes the slightest grimace of sorrow, then turns to the assembled crowd and smiles.) "The Queen" is simply one of the best films to come out of Britain in the last decade. I would love to see a double feature of this film and "The Madness of King George"--in which Mirren played Queen Charlotte, the consort of George III. The House of Windsor might rebel at such an event, but the rest of us would be in for a treat.