Long Live The Queen

Rating: 8/10 (26 May 2007)

This outstanding docudrama is far better than it has any right to be, and neatly tip toes around the many bear traps that were waiting for those involved in this film. Hehen Mirren has been awash with praise for her performance- and rightly so. She plays it straight, and incredibly by so doing, elicits a level of sympathy from the viewer that was noticeably absent at the time in real life.
Cleverly, the supporting real life figures are played as caricatures by their actors. This enables some wickedly astute dialogue. Prince Philip is portrayed as the archetypal grumpy old man, Alastair Campbell as a venomous, self seeking, moral free gutter rat,and Prince Charles as a hand wringing, but sensitive soul. Cherie Blair will not be keeping her part saved on DVD ! Perversely the documentary footage adds credibility to the film , but eases off the power of the acted parts. Furthermore the scene where the Queen cries for the slain Stag is a bit too crassly symbolic for my tastes.
Nevertheless the end result is a triumph for all concerned and sends the message that contemporary drama can work after the recent flop of "Bobby" about Bobby Kennedy.