Review of The Queen (2006) by Paul L — 09 Aug 2010

I wasnâ??t sure what to expect with this movie, and have to say I was pleasantly surprised . It tells the tale of â??That Weekâ?? between the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, and the state funeral that she was eventually granted. The Queen (Helen Mirren) currently holidaying at Balmoral decides that as Charles and Diana are divorced, Diana is no longer royalty and the funeral should be a private family affair, but when newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair (Martin Sheen) advises her that the people she rules are starting to turn against the Monarchy due to their â??lack of interestâ??, she tries to stand her ground. Of course the Press have an absolute field day and HRH eventually bows to public pressure, realising that â??The Peoples Princessâ?? is more popular than she realised, and perhaps that the Monarchy are in danger of being left behind in a rapidly modernised world.

With some exceptional scenery shots and familiar landmarks, at times â??The Queenâ?? has an almost documentary feel but it never leads into TV movie hell, and some great performances, especially Michael Sheenâ??s Blair and an uncanny performance by Mirren of Her Majesty, not so much copying but more of a portrait, brings a human side to a culture in all honesty we know very little about. An enthralling film.