The Queen (DVD, 2007)

2006 Golden Globe: Best Actress; 2006 Venice Film Festival: Best Actress; 2007 Academy Oscar: Best Actress, Dame Helen Mirren gives the best performance of her life in "The Queen:" an insightful view of the British monarchy & government. Earning 6 Academy Award nominations, the DVD version's loaded with footage of Lady Diana when Princess of Wales.

"The Queen's" a study of events just before & after Diana died. The movie's plot zooms in on the dutiful Queen (Helen Mirren), spiteful Prince Philip (James Cromwell), grief-struck Prince Charles (Alex Jennings), cynical Queen Mother (Sylvia Syms) & newly elected labor Prime Minister, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). According to script, Prince Philip detests & berates Diana & views the British public's grief over her abrupt death as lunacy. The Queen is portrayed as quietly committed to her crown; but, clueless about how Diana was popular with & cherished by Brits. Prince Charles is portrayed as devastated, bereaved for his & Diana's boys & spot-on the world's grief. Charles begs his mum for a public royal funeral "for the mother of the future King of England."
She denies the nontraditional.

Blair isn't settled in office when word reaches him: under hot paparazzi pursuit, Diana & lover Dodi Al Fayed are killed after their chauffeured Mercedes crashed into a concrete barrier in Paris. Public outcries came as fast, fierce & furious outpourings of shock, disbelief & loss. Just as Lady Di's public service touched most parts of the world, grief over the tragic loss of an extraordinary, beautiful woman & her brave humanitarian work of love. inspired by social convictions became internationally renowned.

Prime Minister Blair consoled the public through media, naming Diana, "The People's Princess." The Royal family was stoically silent; Prince Philip chided public grief & the Queen Mother gloated Diana was an ex-HRH. Keeping with royal tradition, they remained silent. As if causing & seeing death could relieve the young Princes of their grief, Prince Philip took them hunting (stalking) each day at Balmoral's 40,000 acre wildlife retreat. Was stalking with rifles their only grief counseling? The Queen didn't approve.

When the Queen didn't return from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace or fly the palace flag at half-mast, her public approval ratings spiked to a near overthrow of the Monarchy. Most expected their queen to speak to & comfort them through the saddest royal tragedy of our lives. When she didn't, Blair advised her to do otherwise. Mirren's queen is witty, sensitive & lovable. In 1 scene, she weeps alone at Balmoral's riverside. She'd never been hated before after giving her life to the crown.

Scenes:
1: The Picture of Dignity 9: A Quiet Revolution
2: Prime Minister Tony 10: Captive Beauty
3: Diana 11: Serious Mistake
4: Upsetting News 12: A Day of Mourning
5: The People's Princess 13: Shared Grief
6: A Public Funeral 14: The Funeral
7: Modern Man 15: 2 Months Later
8: The Royal Standard 16: End Credits

Digitally mastered DVD, released April 2007: Miramax. Includes 3 bonus features: "The Making of the Queen," Stephen Fears & cast on video & what it was like playing their characters; audio comments by Stephen Frears & Peter Morgan; audio of author of "Majesty," Robert Lacey, royal expert-British historian. Rated PG13. Feature runs 103mins. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Spanish Track & Subtitles. Widescreen.

I think I might have titled this "The Princess and the Queen", since the film revolves around not just Queen Elizabeth II, but also so much about Princess Diana. Through very well edited footage of Diana's marriage and her past, you see her love for her children, interviews about the marital problems and the trauma of millions to the car crash on August 31,1997. It's very English to the core in it's approach, and Helen Mirren is utterly delicious as the witty, restrained and repressed monarch facing off against the new, young, Prime Minister Tony Blair(Michael Sheen). Mirren is indeed so convincing, you feel she could be the Queen's identical twin. When you see her giving her acceptance speeches in real life(Golden Globe and SAG Award), you realize what an incredible job she did of transforming herself into this woman in every way. It's excellently written by Peter Morgan and Oscar nominated for the directing by Stephen Frears. Frears ("Dangerous Liaisons") has a great talent for making you feel like you're an insider. If you have a fascination with royalty or Princess Di, you'll very likely love this movie. You'll feel like you're there in the palace with them and all of their dirty little secrets - the jealousies, the gossip, the backbiting with Blair, the tiffs with Prince Charles, and the Queen's astonishment at the overwhelming, oupouring of love for Di. All Hail to "The Queen".

Before I even discuss "The Queen", I have to say what a wonderful performance by Helen Mirren. She actually becomes Queen Elizabeth II and we believe it is really her in the movie. She really deserved her Oscar.

But now to the surprises in the movie. Although Queen Elizabeth took a beating when Princess Diana died, we learn that it wasn't all caused by the rift between the two women. It is true that the Queen did not like Diana because Diana talked to the press many times about her problems with Charles, her husband. But we learn further that Queen Elizabeth is so wrapped up in the tradition of the monarchy that she feels that she has to remain dignified
and aloof throughout the ordeal, even saying many times that Diana was no longer part of the Royal Family and that the funeral service should be a private Spencer happening.

Other surprises: (1) We see the Queen actually driving an SUV type vehicle over Scotland's backroads. WOW, I could never picture that. (2) We see Charles in a different light in the fact that he was sympathetic to Diana and wanted to do the right thing for her funeral, which was to have a big, lavish, formal celebration of her life. He must not have been completely wrapped up with Camilla. (3) We see the Queen show lots of emotion toward the killing of a magnificent stag while showing little emotion toward Diana. We see her surrounded by dogs that she commands to stay back and they mind her. She must be a true animal lover. (4) We see the Queen's sitting room, bedroom and other rooms in their Scotland quarters (Balmoral), which wasn't that lavish a deal. (5) We see the Queen actually serving a picnic meal without help. (6) And finally, we see a very young Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) trying to deal with a fastidious not-so-old queen, who revels in all of the formalities of her position.

I don't mind giving these parts of the movie away, because I know that you will want to see this movie and visualize it for yourself. It is well worth the experience. More than anything, this movie shows that Royals do have a human side, that they actually do things that ordinary people do and do it without being waited on constantly, and finally that beneath all of that formality there is just a family with problems like ordinary people have.

This movie is even greater than anticipated.
It should have won for best movie of the year.
I can see why Helen Mirren won "Best Supporting Actress", as no one could portray Queen Elizabeth such as she.
I believe Queen Elizabeth has a motherly protective side and Diana may have helped bring this light to her, as in real life we do not see.
We only see her as head of the monarchy. It is so tragic when it takes a tragedy for one to show inner personal thoughts and thus have to act on the protocol instilled in her.
One must remember she has been Queen since she was a very young girl, therefore her strict traditions have been instilled in her for many years.
I do believe the Queen is trying to adapt too the 21st century.
Even baby steps are a beginning, and she bent the rules be this a movie or in real life.
This movie was so attentive and moving I would rate it 10 stars.
I, being a Royal watcher can imagine that Queen Elizabeth, protrayed by Helen Mirren did her homework before taking on such a great role.
In fact, the movie was so great, I bought two, one for collectors item for the future.

Helen Mirren does a fantastic job portraying the Queen of England in this dramatic film following the life of royalty during a time of crisis. The Queen portrays the day in and day out thoughts, feelings, and actions of Queen Elizabeth II as Tony Blair is elected into office and Princess Diana dies in a car accident. The film is incredibly well done, the directing, writing, and acting are all superb. This movie is more a semi-fictionalized documentary if anything so you have to know what you are getting into with this movie. It's certainly not for everyone as it can be a little dull or slow going at times. However, if you are interested in getting an inside look at what it may really be like to live as royalty in these modern times, this was a unique and fascinating film.