The Queen

I had heard quite a lot about The Queen and it had quite a reputation behind it, so I decided that it would be a good idea to watch it. It’s a film which considers the British Royal Family’s dealing with the public after the death of Princess Diana. Now I was too young to remember exactly what happened with the death of Diana and so this film was very useful to me as a bit of an explanation.

Upon the breaking news of the death of Princess Diana, the Royal Family did not expect the response that was seen by the public. The Queen and her family wanted to deal with the news in a very private manner and did not consider it to be a royal death. However, the public opinion, largely channelled by Prime Minister Tony Blair, was that a more widespread expression of grief should be seen. The film also provides a bit of an insight into the workings of the labour government under Blair, but this takes a backseat relative to the focus on the Royals. In the year that The Departed won the Academy Award for Best Picture, The Queen definitely deserves its nomination and might have been a close contender.

Helen Mirren stars as The Queen and is absolutely wonderful to watch. She fully deserves the award for Best Actress and for me is the perfect actress to play Elizabeth II. Not only does she fully look the part in this film, which is of course a credit to the makeup department, but she sounds perfect as well. She has obviously dedicated herself fully to this role, and the result is an absolutely flawless and fantastic portrayal of The Queen. Generally I think she presents the monarchy in a positive light in this film, and although a certain degree of stubbornness is seen in the character, the audience is allowed to understand her reasons behind her actions. Also, she is portrayed as a genuinely caring mother and grandmother, which is really nice considering how private the Royal family is.

Michael Sheen portrays the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, in this film and is as enjoyable to watch as ever. He had played Blair before The Queen and does so again after, but does very well at replicating the mannerisms of the man. His ‘all-smiles’ approach to this role perfectly captures the character, and he comes across as a very believable Blair. He does very well at conveying the difficulty that a modern Prime Minister can have with the Royal Family. There are a number of times when Blair’s modern ideals do not ring true with the Queen’s old fashioned way of doing things, and when this happens I found myself feeling a bit wary at where the scene was going. This level of awkwardness is perfectly captured by Sheen. Michael Sheen is fast on his way to becoming one of my favourite actors, just for how likable he is on-screen (and off-screen I’m sure).

The supporting cast is also very enjoyable to watch, particularly the other members of the Royal Family. Whereas Helen Mirren attempts to portray the Royals positively, the other actors highlight exactly how old fashioned and traditional the monarchy really is. For me, Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh (played by James Cromwell), is the polar opposite of the Queen in this sense. Where she is prepared to consider and understand the public’s love and appreciation of Diana eventually, Phillip seems to have no understanding of why they should break tradition for Diana. This obstinance is brilliantly conveyed by Cromwell who deserves credit for his performance. Equally enjoyable is the old fashioned views held by the Queen Mother (Sylvia Syms). I particularly enjoyed the scene where she was outraged by the decision to use her funeral plans as the template for Diana’s. Although she doesn't have a particularly big part in the film, she definitely adds to the presentation of the royals.

Alex Jennings plays Prince Charles very well, but if I had one criticism of him it is that his accent isn't completely perfect. I think that it is actually relatively inconsistent at various points, and if it wasn't for the fact that he was introduced as the Prince of Wales, some might struggle to understand who he is. Although, that said, Charles’ accent is particularly difficult to imitate and I’m sure Jennings gave this role his best shot. Finally, I found Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair to be particularly annoying in this film. It might just be because I find Cherie Blair particularly annoying and McCrory does a good job of conveying this, but I thought the character seemed to be a bit vindictive about the whole scenario.

Overall, The Queen is a thoroughly enjoyable and very entertaining take on the events surrounding the death of Princess Diana. As films of this sort go, it is definitely one of the better ones. Complete with a very proficient supporting cast and a couple of exceptional performances from Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen, The Queen is definitely a film to watch if you get the opportunity.