| Majestic and Sweet |
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| written by talltale |
September 30, 2006 - 8:38 AM PDT |
The very fine children's film HER MAJESTY takes a look at 1950s New Zealand, as the just post-coronated Queen Elizabeth (who, in her latter days, is now the subject of the new Stephen Frears movie "The Queen") makes her first royal visit to that distant country. It should equally please kids and adults, particularly the latter of whom can remember the early period of this queen. The DVD transfer, as close to perfect as you'd want, is rife with the clear, pure colors that come from an environment lacking in much pollution, typically splendid New Zealand scenery, and sets and costumes brimming with artifacts and fashions of the day--colorful, funny and memory-jogging.
With these wonderful accoutrements, the movie could easily have coasted on a so-so story. Instead the tale is a "grabber" that offers nostalgia, innocence, sibling rivalry, history, politics and even economics served up in a stew that kids can understand and adults enjoy. The lead actress, Sally Andrews, gives a terrific performance (she's won some international awards, as has the film), even managing to do a musical number atop a giant circle of cheese in which she's--appropriately--good but not great. The rest of the cast is fine, too, although the lead "villain" maybe slightly overplays her hand.
If you are interested in or have spent any time in New Zealand, you'll appreciate the Maori mores and culture shown via the old woman that our young lead befriends, whose history and struggle provide the emotional/political core of this surprising film which even offers occasional relevance to today's America. It's easy to understand why "Her Majesty" has won so many of those "Audience" awards at small film festivals from Stony Brook, NY, to Ojai, CA, Newport Beach, Palm Beach, San Diego, and elsewhere. Its heart, mind, cast and crew were all in the right place, and after experiencing this lovely film, you may feel that you were, too. |
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