Review of The Queen (2006) by Connor _ — 20 Jul 2010

I'm convinced this is one of the greatest films of the decade. The film is beautifully shot, directed with a careful hand, and narrated with a screenplay so brutally honest yet incredibly sympathetic.

The Queen, which was released nearly a decade after the actual death of Princess Diana, serves as more of a time capsule to a turbulent time in the history of the Royal Family; it's an unflinching portrait of Queen Elizabeth II, widely considered one of the most successful monarchs, and her first period of public criticism.

Helen Mirren's brilliant Oscar-winning turn as the Queen herself is the icing on the wonderful cake. Overall, it's a fascinating film--a very moving story despite being painfully honest in its portrayal of the Royal Family.

And, as with many of the greatest films, the most beautiful, poignant moment in the film is one with no dialogue: the Queen is sitting in a field alone (her car just broke down during one of her regular outings in the country) and she begins to cry as the pressure of the whole situation bears down on her even more.

Suddenly, she sees a great imperial stag standing behind her, and for a brief, beautiful moment, we see such a wide array of emotions go across Mirren's face, from joy to awe to fear. It's a truly gorgeous moment and one of the best scenes I have seen this past decade.