Summary: A very traditional-minded Queen Elizabeth butts heads with the newly elected (and throughly modern) Prime Minister of England on the proper way to deal publicly with the tragic death of Princess Diana.
Things I Liked: The story and characters. So compelling was the film's story, and so immersed was I in the internal struggles of the players, that it was not until the end credits that I realized I had paid absolutely no attention to mechanics such as camera moves, editing and art direction. Helen Mirren, who won an Oscar for her role in the film, does a truly fantastic job in the lead role. Rather than attempting to imitate Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, she completely and utterly inhabits her. All of the acting is good, but James Cromwell and Michael Sheen (as the newly inducted Prime Minister Blair) both turn in particularly solid performances. As in so many of his films (DANGEROUS LIASONS, MRS. HENDERSON PRESENTS, THE SNAPPER, HIGH FIDELITY, THE GRIFTERS), Stephen Frears' direction is excellent.
Things I Disliked: The presence of Prince Charles (the character's contribution to the story is minimal). Normally, I would list as a negative the films subject matter (politics and history), but even that aspect of the film takes a backseat to the director's exploration of humanity in this film. THE QUEEN has joined PAN'S LABRYINTH as one of my favorite films of 2006.
Four out of five stars
Moviewatch Ratings Legend:
One Star: Hated it
Two Stars: Didn't like it
Three Stars: Liked it
Four Stars: Really liked it
Five Stars: Loved it
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