In review: The Queen
October 24, 2006 by Joanne Brokaw
The Queen
(Miramax)
Starring Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms, Christopher Fosh
Directed by Stephen Frears
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language
http://thequeen-movie.com/
Winner of the Venice Film Festival for Best Female Actor and Best Screenplay
Reviewed by Joanne Brokaw
In the drama, “The Queen,” new Prime Minister Tony Blair and the stoic Queen of England come head to head in the wake of Princess Diana’s death.
While the film is a fictional drama, the screenplay by Peter Morgan was drawn from extensive interviews, devoted research, and discreet sources, giving viewers a provocative insider’s view of the inner workings of the British monarchy.
Keeping the upper hand with the new Prime Minister Tony Blair (her 10th during her reign, the Queen reminds him, the first being Winston Churchill), we witness the struggle as the two tackle from different perspectives the public mourning following the unprecedented tragedy that turned the nation on its ear.
“The Queen” is thought-provoking (especially for those of us without a royal family guiding our nation) and occasionally humorous. As an American, I found the behind-the-scenes story of the royal family fascinating, and was riveted by the deeply moving picture of a Queen struggling to maintain decorum in the wake of yet another public relations nightmare caused by her former daughter-in-law. (Despite her divorce, Diana was still the mother of the future King of England.) The contrast between a Queen who has dedicated her life in service to her people and the Princess who turned her back on all of it offers a moving portrait of a graceful monarch coming to terms with a changing society.
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