Review of The Queen (2006) by Tyler C — 17 Aug 2009

Where were the commercials? While I watched "The Queen" I could never shake the feeling that I was witnessing a television show, more like an episode of "The West Wing" than a film. Granted it felt like an excellent episode of that series, but it should have felt like a full fledged feature.

The film centers on the death of Princess Dianna and the Queen, played by Hellen Mirren's reaction publically and privately. The way that a traditional figure like Queen Elizibeth handles the situation is at odds with the growing needs of a more modern society. Playing Elizibeth's foil is Michael Sheen, who plays a young Tony Blair in the film paired against the experienced Queen Elizabeth, is playing a very similar role to that in which he more recently played as a young David Frost paired against an experienced Richard Nixon. Both characters are similarly brilliant and similarly uncertain of themselves despite their attempts to appear otherwise. With this comparison Sheen's Frost comes out the more interesting character however, and Frost/Nixon stands out as a far superior political film.

The movie is refreshingly and intentionally reserved, lacking the showy performances that often gain stars Oscar nominations. The actors all do serviceable jobs; Helen Mirren in particular was impressive, she really embodied Elizabeth in a way that few actresses could, never devolving into caricature. I could never shake the feeling, however, that the cast was underutilized in a way that was unintentional. Outside of the stars, some supporting actors like James Cromwell add depth to their roles. Unfortunately more often the supporting cast falls into the trap of caricature that Mirren so impressively escapes. There are unnecessary scenes and unnecessary plot points; all the while I kept expecting Martin Sheen to pop up instead of Michael Sheen.

Ultimately this is a film that has an important theme, the passing of the torch from the old guard to the new generation. Because it effectively conveys this message, it becomes an important and thought provoking film to watch, even if one must struggle to stay awake through the tedium the message is wrapped up in.