A cracking film, dramatising a wonderful set of caricatures

Rating: 7/10 (19 September 2006)

A wonderful film, led by a fantastic performance from Helen Mirren that portrays a wholly conjectured look into the reactions of the Royal Family and the Blairs in the week between Princess Diana's death and funeral.
In no way do I wish to give the impression that this film is not fantastically entertaining but I think it is important to realise that this film does not attempt to create an accurate portrayal of the members of the Royal Family and Government, but instead portrays their popular image as seen by the press in a form of caricature.
Instead of guessing what went on in the private discussions between the people portrayed and presenting it as a dramatisation of events, it attempts to provide a possible set of occurrences and personal views which could have led to the publicly viewable actions that *were* recordable by the press. I find that the exaggerated (but not slapstick) portrayal of these very well known people serves to highlight the emphasis of the film as an analysis of public perception as led by the tabloid press as opposed to an analysis of the Royal Family's actions.
Accepting this view of the film opens your eyes to a depth of subtle humour and characterisation that might be missed if the viewer treats this as a straight drama with comic interludes.