Queen for not much longer

Rating: 8/10 (7 January 2007)

This is the very subtle and nuanced story told in an understated way, of how, immediately after the August 1997 death of ex-HRH Princess Diana as a result of a car accident in Paris, the Queen (Helen Mirren, brilliant) and Royal household were prodded into embracing the nation's grief by both public opinion and the recently elected Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). It's a fairly slight basis for a story but Stephen Frears manages to keep us interested by presenting it as a tussle between the Queen, who believes duty must come first and grief should be private, and Blair, who has to appease the tabloids and accommodate the people's grief. It's a tricky business putting lines into the mouths of actors playing living celebrities, given British (and Australian) libel laws and I can only recall one previous occasion where the Queen has been so portrayed, by Prunella Scales in Alan Bennett's brilliant play about the traitor Anthony Blunt "A Question of Attribution". Interestingly in France, which also has tough (pro plaintiff) libel laws, it is possible to put a real person into a novel and have them act badly without that constituting defamation, as long as it is clear the conduct is fictional.
The Queen is not likely to sue, but she does not come out of this film too badly. She is shown as being perhaps more sympathetic to animals than people, but nevertheless high - principled and flexible enough to change her position to protect her interest, the standing of the monarchy. The same cannot be said for the Duke, portrayed here by the American actor James Cornwell as a grumpy hidebound stupid conservative, and the Queen Mum (Sylvia Syms), who seems to be living (just) in another century. Tony Blair too, does not come out so badly, at least if you accept it's OK for him to start out as a radical critic of the monarchy and wind up supporting it, much to the disgust of his wife Cherie (Helen McCroy, excellent). The person who really ought to sue is his press secretary Alistair Campbell who is portrayed very convincingly by Mark Bazeley as an enthusiastic amoral prat who will do anything to improve the PM's press coverage.
The settings are appropriately sumptuous, including it seems some in Buckingham Palace, though Balmoral, where most of the action takes place was apparently off-limits and the film was shot in several other Scottish Highlands locations. I must admit the royal lifestyle  huge palaces, dozens of servants, every last detail of royal activities organized in advance, protocols for everything - would soon engender a certain remoteness of attitude, and it's a wonder the Queen is in touch with ordinary life as much as she is. From an Australian perspective however this film demonstrates that the British monarchy is something we need to put behind us  we still have it only because John Howard, our unprincipled and rat-cunning Prime minister who is still emotionally attached to it, managed to split the pro-republican vote at the 1999 referendum between those who wanted a directly elected president and those who were happy for the politicians to appoint one. Whatever value, spiritual and practical, the British see in their monarchy has no relevance here, and twenty years should see an end to it. In the meantime we can be entertained by perceptive, if not gripping drama such as this.