The Queen (2006)

	Directed by: Stephen Frears	COUNTRY United Kingdom/France/Italy GENRE Drama/Historical NORWEGIAN TITLE The Queen RUNNING TIME 97 minutes
	Produced by: Andy Harries Christine Langan Tracey Seaward
	Written by: Peter Morgan

Cast includes:
CHARACTER	ACTOR/ACTRESS	RATING
HM Queen Elizabeth II	Helen Mirren	½
Tony Blair	Michael Sheen
Prince Philip	James Cromwell
HM The Queen Mother	Sylvia Syms	½
Prince Charles	Alex Jennings
Cherie Blair	Helen McCrory	½
Robin Janvrin	Roger Allam
Stephen Lamport	Tim McMullan

Review

Stephen Frears delves into the private life of Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor in this contemporary period piece (a contradiction in terms, I know). The film focuses on the week following the death of the Princess of Wales, and how the situation is handled by the public, by the new government led by newly appointed prime minister Tony Blair, and, more specifically, by the crown.

Thematically, Frears' film is quite narrow, albeit never shallow. The film has its strength in portraying and discussing the position of the British monarchy from a contemporary perspective. To an extent, Frears suggests not only that the crown is about to become outdated, but also that the queen ultimately concedes this. Helen Mirren's performance as Queen Elizabeth II is the film's greatest asset. Her constrained, inexpressive surface conceals an abundance of passion and patriotism. The way Mirren is able to pinpoint this is vital to the film's effect. Still, to say that we get under the skin of Her Majesty would be an exaggeration. For all the insight Peter Morgan demonstrates with his script, he hasn't (and isn't expected to have) access to the inner thoughts of the woman he wants to depict so intimately. The film is by all accounts fairly accurate, but it's still interpretative; there can only be so much to tell and so much to reveal about something as concealed as this subject matter.

The relationship between the Queen and Tony Blair is ultimately presented in a somewhat romanticised manner. The latter is, throughout the entire film, portrayed in an almost uncritically good light (although Frears predicates the change in his popularity through the Mirren character). As portrayed by a well-cast Michael Sheen, Blair is both a brilliant tactician, politician and humanitarian who understands the queen's situation better than any of her or the government's advisors. Perhaps Frears is doing Blair the same favour with this film that Blair did for the Queen during that week after the death of Diana...

The Queen is an economical and efficient film. Its intention is clear-cut, uncomplicated, politically correct, and balanced. At its best, it is moving and important, but more often it remains simply amusing or matter-of-fact. And it is somewhat held back by a direction that is too anonymous to make The Queen truly memorable beyond Mirren's brilliant performance.