An exquisite portrait of the charming Queen in a defining moment of our generation

Rating: 7/10 (21 February 2007)

Is the Queen still necessary today? In "The Queen", Frears paints an unflattering picture at times, and maybe candidly unsympathetic portrait of HMQE2. She is shown as a cold, resolute and inflexible mother, grandmother, wife, and daughter, trying to lead the country with traditions that are becoming stale and archaic. In one week, her popularity and status has never been under more scrutiny in today's society.
It charts the infamous period in English history beginning with Tony Blair's remarkable accession as the Labor Prime Minister in 1997 to the shocking death of Princess Diana that unprecedentedly brought the nation, and the monarchy to a standstill. The events are interspersed with some amazing news footage of the palace and the public at the time, the vividness and striking quality of these clips resonate so deeply with those of us around at the time that the surreal events only feel like they happened yesterday. This was a defining moment of our generation.
The film is beautifully furnished, filmed on location in the palace and surrounding English streets including No.10. The Scottish highlands were also sweepingly picturesque, the stand-out a fantastic helicopter shot over the rolling hills capturing the hunt for the majestic stag. Frears does a good effort directing, finding some unique angles within the palace, maintaining the suspense of the film throughout, and taking the time to showcase Mirren's fine talents.
The acting is fantastic all round with Mirren leading the royal procession as the haughty and detached majesty seen by the public, but underneath her layers, a tenacious and pragmatic mother of the people who reminds us that even our leaders must be led sometimes. She commands a performance of restraint and economy, allowing us deep into her public fears with a simple shift of the eyes or in the intonation of her crisp delivery of English wit. Tony Blair, Prince Philip, and The Queen Mother are also all startlingly realised in multidimensional characterizations that demonstrate their futility, outrage and rejection of the collapsing of the idea of the monarchy. Both their physical and emotional attributes have been translated superbly to the screen. Each actor captures each members of the family's spirit and their characteristics without resorting to banal trivialisations or shallow caricatures.
The script written by man-of-the-moment Peter Morgan is bursting with the dry English wit that is so subtle but punishing when well delivered. It assumes nothing and yet has much to say about the break-down between the Royals, the people and the 21st century. The smart delivery and meditations on modern government also make some realisations about biting that hand that feeds you. Plus there are some great deadpan one-liners throughout. The score by Golden Globe winner Alexandre Desplat is sweet and charming yet hints at the peoples' taking over of power. There are also some splendidly sensual and voluptuous passages that reflect on the Queen's state of mind during the film.
I really wanted to like this film. The incomparable Helen Mirren in a superb majestic role. Queen Elizabeth 2 herself has always enchanted me and I was expecting a mature and refined drama about one of my favourite historical figures. Plus the film has an exquisite beauty. But perhaps I was expecting too much. Mirren, while breathtaking didn't elevate me to soaring heights and the characterisation was a little too harsh. QE2's charismatic and can-do personality, her efforts in the war, tribulations with former PMs and her relationship with the parliament deserve not to be overlooked just because she had a moment of poor public judgment. And I felt all her achievements in the name of England were overlooked in preference of making the Queen look like an prehistoric, dogmatic old bat. She was a very elegant and pretty young woman in her time and at 80(!) is in superb health and looks for her age.
In the end, I also felt it was a little too "telemovie" and not critical or salient enough to demand forceful passion from the viewer. Still well deserved Oscar noms and probably wins; a pleasure to see unique and vivid portrayals of the Queen and her family too easily dismissed as a bunch of stuck-up Royals. Long live The Queen!