The Queen: A Royal conundrum

Rating: 7/10 (30 March 2018)

Can you remember the weeks after the death of Princess Diana? For those who don't remember or were not there at the time, the Princess of Wales Diana Spencer died on 31st of August 1997 and the whole world went into morning. The British people in particular were very upset with her death with seemingly millions joining together in their grief, an unprecedented move that was never before seen or since. This is the backdrop for The Queen.
The Queen begins with Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) being elected Prime Minster and goes through the next few weeks until the public funeral on September the 5th. The main focus is on the royal family trying to comprehend the death and struggling to understand the reaction that occurred. The film does itself a favour by focusing on the Royal family and inability to understand the change of behavior on the British people. I like fact the movie does not vilify or deify the family, it treats them like humans. Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth 2nd is so very believable as the queen, you do not even see her as Helen Mirren, for all intents and purposes is the Queen. She is a woman who does not understand what to do asides from what is to be expected of her and the film does not judge her on it, if anything it sympathies with her. Michael Sheen is uncanny as Tony Blair, his smile, his accent it is all so believable. Same goes with James Cromwell as Prince Philip I can't see anyone else portraying Prince Philip or anyone else doing it as well as James Cromwell.
The film is flawless on a technical standpoint; I cannot see any flaws in terms of filmmaking. Overall a very well made movie. I think one of the best moments of editing in the moving is how the movie inter cuts old recordings of Diana with the first person perspective of the driver and the occasionally cut to the reporters chasing the car.
The film is mostly accurate to the historical events, with some minor chances to simplify the events for narrative purposes. It does paint the press in a somewhat negative light and does gloss over the entire backlash against the journalists that resulted in Diana's death. It just has a missed opportunity that could have been explored if it had a longer running time. But it does not really hurt the movie overall.
The Queen is a pretty good movie all things considered. I really cannot find much to talk about. So yeah...