We all remember the tragic ending to the "People's Princess" and the events that followed. The beautiful blonde's life was heralded as one full of compassion, one of an independent woman who suffered from a bitter public divorce from Prince Charles, ultimately dying in a Paris car accident involving a paparazzi pursuit. In the days following the accident, the royal family, which had never been in love with the attractive, unconventional humanitarian to begin with, followed the traditional response to such an event. They did nothing, and the British people could hardly believe it.
Dame Helen Mirren shows yet again why she earned her royally bestowed title. She takes the Queen's well-known rigidity and no-nonsense attitude and embraces it. The larger-than-life persona thus becomes one which we all can relate to, especially in such a trying time. We giggle when her four-wheel car breaks down in the middle of a river, and she sits patiently on a rock for someone to come pick her up. We smile as we witness the rapport between husband (the wonderful James Cromwell as the Duke of Edinburgh) and wife. And finally, when the press begins to show its ugly side, we begin to understand why Di's death might be considered a "private matter," to be dealt with within the royal family. Mirren is a class act as the British monarch, but Michael Sheen provides a superb turn as Labour's Prime Minister elect Tony Blair.
The first meeting between the two leaders is priceless: Blair and his wife Cherie (played cleverly by Helen McCrory) stumble comically through the various formalities, making sure, however, not to show their backs to her Highness, slowly walking backwards out of the room. Sheen's Blair is also a stubborn head of state, but he is one of the few who sympathizes with the Queen's position. He tries to save the Queen from her own people, helping her to realize that traditions change with time.
Tradition calls for privacy and aloofness, so the Queen and the royal family refuse to appear publicly for the entire week after Di's death. Only Prince Charles (Alex Jennings) feels that it might be wise to do so, fearing his own reputation more than his mother's vilification by the public. The public demands a modern, heartfelt reaction from the Queen, and she eventually concedes to the demand.
Screenwriter Peter Morgan uses a wonderful sense of dry humor to portray the British royals right at home in their imperial world.
I've always loved Stephen Frears's work-the classic "High Fidelity," and last year's "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (with another British dame, Judi Dench), and "The Queen" is no exception. Here, he constructs a captivating picture, using archival footage of the events and their repercussions, combined with recreations of significant events and stunning location scenes. He portrays the royal family in exactly the opposite way as much of the media did. Under his lenses, they are normal human beings who, although mistaken in their judgment, had good intentions all the same.
In the end, while "The Queen" is probably not worthy of all that it garnered at the Golden Globes (it is the Foreign Press, remember), it is a very good movie nonetheless. Mirren's performance should definitely be one of the frontrunners for the Oscar, and Peter Morgan's screenplay should make a strong run for it as well.