Outstanding

Rating: 10/10 (26 September 2006)

Everything, really utterly and completely everything in that movie, from the performance of the exquisite leading lady down to the smallest word or movement was perfect. There isn't a single flaw in it, not one, not a single one. I was a bit tired while watching it, but still that movie held me mesmerized to the screen all through it. Helen Mirren brought to life a Queen Elizabeth II that I would have never expected, and the outstanding performances of Michael Sheen as Blair and James Cromwell as Prince Philip (and the entire supporting cast) only made everything that much better. I will be the first to admit that I respected the British people for managing to uphold this wonderful ages-old tradition in today's modern world, and if I were British, I guess I would have shared in their royalist pride (although I do wish you could go to London and bring back souvenirs that didn't necessarily have a monarch's face plastered allover them). But I remember when Diana died, I was one of those ignorant people (yes, after that movie especially, that's the word I would use) who were bullying the queen for her lack of emotional display. This movie set right certain things that have been bothering me for quite some time whenever I thought back to what I was like at the time. It put many things into an entirely different perspective (not nearly all of which having to do with Lady Diana's death). But most of all, it stripped the queen of her ice before my eyes, and revealed a human being that ironically enough, the movie also made me understand why I did not see before. To top it all, there is the wonderfully tactful and flowing dialogue, and the mesmerizing performances of Cromwell and Sheen at both her sides. The movie, just as its leading lady, flows gracefully, with quiet dignity and respect, and captures the audience's hearts in the way we would least expect. I almost cried several times throughout the movie, and the memory of Diana was only one of the reasons; the Queen was the other. I also have to salute the cinematography in this film, especially sequences the likes of the one that led up to Diana's death, which was brilliant, as well as the various combinations between original and archive footage. So in a nutshell, my verdict? An absolute must-see, regardless of whether you're a "fan" of Her Majesty or of Lady Diana or neither. Go see this movie, it will change the way you see so many things in your life, I promise that much. I guarantee it. And if Oscars were still being given out to people who deserved them but we all know that's wishful thinking. Let's just say that Helen Mirren deserved much more than 5 minutes of standing ovation. I know it's strange coming from me (or anyone), but I believe the Queen herself, if she is in fact anything like the Queen portrayed by Mirren, would have been very proud of this movie.