A well conceived and well made film with brilliant performances all round

Rating: 9/10 (1 November 2006)

STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
1997. A year that saw the face of England change forever. A new Labour government was sworn into power, promising radical new ideas and reforms after many years of oppressive tory rule and, during the summer, a terrible tragedy struck when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash in a Paris tunnel after being hounded mercilessly by paparazzi. But what was life like for the Royal Family during this tumultuous period? With the public in a united state of grief over the terrible tragedy and needing to take it out on someone in the shape of the Royals, who appeared cold and indifferent to Diana's passing, this film follows the royals as they struggle to cope with mounting pressure from their public to do away with ancient royal traditions and customs to show respect to a woman who was loved by so many.
With it being just under ten years now since Diana's death, and with a lot of the focus still being on the woman herself and how she was hard done over by all those who were meant to care the most about her, it's certainly a very interesting idea to show it from the perspective of the royals themselves (life did go on for them after all) and how the unfolding events came to affect them and the tidal wave of hysteria they were caught up in. It's good as well that it's been pulled off so well.
The film slips in a few interesting facts about the queen (that you might not have known) along the way whilst telling a story detailing the reasons she was turned against by the public along with the rest of her family during that unforgettable summer when the nation united in grief. A good story is unlikely to be pulled along without strong performances to back it up and that is the case here. In the lead role, the renowned Helen Mirren is sturdy and dynamic as the commanding monarch, and she is of course guided along smoothly by a strong supporting cast, including Michael Sheen as the new prime minister, (the American) James Cromwell as the uptight and pompous Prince Philip, Sylvia Sims as the neglected Queen Mother and Alex Jennings as the beleaguered, mourning Prince Charles. They are difficult roles to pull off (and not ones you can entirely keep a straight face to) but under the circumstances they all do splendidly.
Quite simply, this is a very commendable and inspiring film telling events from an angle they weren't seen from that is well worth seeing. ****