The Queen

Rating: 8/10 (26 February 2007)

From Oscar, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated director Stephen Frears (Mrs. Henderson Presents), this is very good interpretation of Britain's modern monarch, crowned in 1953, ending the 20th Century, and still on the throne in the 21st. Anyway, the film starts with young Tony Blair (BAFTA nominated Michael Sheen) becoming the new Prime, and obviously meeting Queen Elizabeth II (Oscar winning Dame Helen Mirren. The main plot for the story comes along though with the tragic fatal car crash of Princess Diana in 1997. The press and public are all tearful and shocked at the incident, but are enraged at the fact that none of the royal family, particularly the Queen, not coming out to public to speak of the incident. It is only when planning the funeral that the Queen will appear, and the celebrity filled event is when the public really see her. The film is mainly made up of a lot of decisions after the event, and a lot of real iconic newsreel footage and powerful re-creation. Also starring James Cromwell as Prince Philip, Sylvia Syms as H.M. The Queen Mother, Alex Jennings as Prince Charles and Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair. I am glad that Mirren won the Oscar (only winner), BAFTA and Golden Globe with a lookalike and very intriguing performance, it would have been interesting to see what would have happened if she was not knighted before the film, but she had tea at the palace. It was nominated the Oscars for Best Costume Design, Best Music for Alexandre Desplat, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Writing, Original Screenplay, it won the BAFTA for Best Film, and it was nominated for the Alexander Korda Award for Best British Film, the Anthony Asquith Award for Film Music, Best Costume Design, Best Editing, Best Make Up & Hair, and Best Original Screenplay, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Screenplay, and it was nominated for Best Motion Picture - Drama. Dame Helen Mirren was number 7 on The 50 Greatest British Actresses, and she was number 5 on Britain's Finest Actresses. Very good!