THE QUEEN is a Helen Mirren Tour De Force

Rating: 10/10 (7 October 2006)

From the first frame of the film as Helen Mirren sits for a portrait, her QUEEN ELIZABETH is firmly established as a character of great intelligence and force to be reckoned with and admired. Ms. Mirren from that point on brings to the screen in THE QUEEN a time period that all over the world we remembered with tears and trepidation at the death of Princess Diana. What Ms. Mirren gives us now in THE QUEEN is a brilliant peak into the mind of a Monarch who had to make some very difficult and important decisions to begin the healing process of the British people over the untimely death of "The People's Princess".
THE QUEEN moves along at a solid pace,as the sets, costumes and the cast are simply tremendous. Director Stephen Frears has delivered in THE QUEEN a film that is not only a way back into history, but he gives us an actor of such great talent as Helen Mirren to deliver a performance that is so powerful and complete. Moreover, as we look at what has transpired for Tony Blair today, and then look at his stance in THE QUEEN, it is such a shame that such a brilliant British political star as Prime Minister has gone all for naught.
The writing by Peter Morgan is crisp, brilliant and captures the minds and thoughts of Brish Royalty to a "T". And the final scene in the film with Elizabeth and Blair is one that will stay with me and captures that moment in time that has now past. With THE QUEEN we are assured that Helen Mirren will be holding a golden statuette in the future.