The Queen Review
by Clint Morris
That’s a pretty heavy crown Stephen Frears is wearing for
his first royal appointment in film, but never the less he wears it
with pride, stateliness and fine balancing skills – with its rudiments
sparkling more so than bottled bubbly caught in a sunray. This
Queen Elizabeth II ‘week-in-the-life-of’ effort is bound to make as
much headlines as the woman herself did when she was blamed for not
reacting to the death of [known adversary] Diana, Princess of Wales, in
1997. Though the film doesn’t paint anyone as a true villain or hero –
though Prince Phillip doesn’t come out too good; quite the bastard it
seems – it’s as warts and all as a Salem witch. Frears hasn’t shied
away from telling it like it is; and the film is all the more better
for it. The year is 1997, and Great Britain has a newly elected
prime minister, the youthful, buoyant Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). The
Queen (Helen Mirren) isn’t fazed by his arrival, but when her former
daughter-in-law Princess Diana is killed in a car accident, her
authority is tested as never before. Blair believes the Royal family
should react to the situation – raise the flag to half-mast, have a
public funeral; and so on – but as Diana was no longer royalty,
Elizabeth is determined to keep it a private matter. At least, until
the people turn on her. Helen Mirren is a revelation as
Elizabeth. Commanding, Powerful and likeable (even when it’s hard for
her to come across as such), it’s the performance of the actresses long
career. It’s not often that you get an actor that looks as good as she
plays a real-life person, and Mirren’s pulled it off with shining Union
Jack colours. In addition, Michael Sheen is brilliant as Prime
Minister, Tony Blair. He has it all down pat – the mannerisms, the
voice, and the behaviour. This is a career-making role; and is destined
to put Sheen on the fast track to fame. Mirren and Sheen are
backed up by an apt support cast including James Cromwell as the stern
Prince Phillip, Alex Jennings as the torn Prince Charles, and a
redoubtable Sylvia Syms as the Queen Mother. An engrossing film that’ll be quite eye opening for many, The Queen deserves every inch of the red-carpet treatment it’ll no doubt get. 4 out
of 5 The Queen
Australian
release: 26th December,
2006
Cast: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms, Alex Jennings
Director: Stephen Frears
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