pretty good. kind of silly.

Rating: 7/10 (24 April 2007)

The Queen is an interesting sort of film. It is basically a documentary told mostly in re-enactments, but brought to the next level by fantastic performances and high production value. There is no disputing Helen Mirren's total embodiment of the title role. She is captivating to watch. The narrative style, focusing on the Queen's perspective and highlighting her vulnerability, is also quite good. The problem I had with the film, which I'm sure was an unavoidable challenge in making it, was with the supporting characters, who oftentimes looked to me like celebrity impersonators. This is not a criticism of their acting abilities, just a belief that it was a no-win situation in the making of the movie. In a time when we are used to seeing actors portray celebrities and political figures in comedy like Saturday Night Live, it is a natural response to laugh at fake Tony Blair, fake Prince Charles, etc. Or at least be a bit distracted by it.