:
Helen Mirren,
Helen Mirren,
Michael Sheen,
more...
:
Stephen Frears,
Stephen Frears
see all cast/crew...
: 
: Miramax
: Drama, Foreign, Biopics, British Drama, UK
: 103 min.
see additional details...
|
|
The British prime minister and the Royal Family find themselves quietly at odds in the wake of a national tragedy in this drama from director Stephen Frears. On August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died in an auto accident in Paris; despite the controversial breakup of her marriage to Prince Charles, she was still one of the most famous and best-loved women in the world, and the public outpouring of emotion over her passing was immediate and intense. However, given the messy circumstances of Diana's breakup with Charles, official spokespeople for the Royal Family were uncertain about how to publicly address her passing. It didn't take long for the media to pick up on the hesitation of Buckingham Palace to pay homage to Diana, and many saw this as a sign of the cool emotional distance so often attributed to the royals, which in this case was widely seen as an insult against Diana and the many people who loved her. Prime Minister Tony Blair (played by Michael Sheen) saw a potential public-relations disaster in the making, and took it upon himself to persuade Queen Elizabeth II (played by Helen Mirren) to make a statement in tribute to the fallen Diana -- an action that went against the taciturn queen's usual nature. The Queen was released the same year that Helen Mirren played Queen Elizabeth I in an acclaimed miniseries for British television; The Queen also gave Michael Sheen his second opportunity to play Tony Blair after portraying the prime minister in the television film The Deal. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
|
| Too concerned with physical resemblances
by shiftless
December 24, 2007 - 12:59 PM PST
|
|
|
1 out of 1 members found this review helpful
|
| Perhaps it was the insertion of so many actual news clippings in between points of the movie, but I never found this film to really flow as a story. It was more like watching individual scenes, reenactments of newspaper clippings from the times, than a cohesive linear story. Lots of "conversations in rooms" scenes. The acting is all around superb, but I found the attention to getting look-a-likes a bit distracting because some are dead ringers and others only vaguely so. This is a good story of a very modern event, and watching how the Royal Family dealt with the unprecedented popularity of Princess Diana is a good ride. |
| Helen Mirren is amazing!
by HNewman
June 29, 2007 - 1:17 PM PDT
|
|
|
1 out of 2 members found this review helpful
|
| I think as Americans we are typically of two minds about the British monarchy; on the one hand we are fascinated by the history, prestige, glamour, and the larger than life soap opera that seems to have played itself out over time. And yet many are still rather disdainful that such an institution remains. It seems so contradictory to the idea of democracy, at least as most Americans understand the term. Helen Mirren embodies the British monarchy in the character of Queen Elizabeth II. . . she is astounding, a more subtle performance one could not find. Attention to the smallest of details adds to Mirren's Elizabeth II, down to the silver pen with which she writes in her diary. . . she dutifully chronicles the personal as well as the world events with which she is now and has been intimately involved throughout her 50 year reign. If you are fascinating by history and how the personalities of those in power are shaped by it then see this film. Mirren and Stephen Frears, the director, have offered us a glimpse inside a rarefied world, perhaps helping us to remember that these people are only separated from us by their wealth & privilege, but not by the tragedies that often touch us all. |
|
|
GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 7.19)
64 Votes
add to list 
|
|
|
Your cart
underdog
© 2006 All Media Guide, LLC. Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®,
a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC.