The Queen - A sophisticated historical drama

Rating: 7/10 (17 April 2013)

"The Queen" is a historical drama movie released in the year 2006 by Stephen Frears Helen Mirren in the leading role. Princess Diana dies in a car accident in Paris. After the royal family hear about her tragic death, Queen Elizabeth II. (Helen Mirren) decides that this should be treated privately because it is the best for Princess Diana's two boys, Prince William and Prince Harry. The upset public cannot understand it and demand a public funeral. The new Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) tries to convince the Queen because Princess Diana was the "People's Princess".
The new elected Prime Minister Tony Blair prepares to meet Queen Elizabeth II. He is very nervous and shaky. The Queen does not like Blair's thinking of modernizing Britain and the monarchy but he repeatedly says that he respects the royal family. A few month later the Princess of Wales, Princess Diana, dies in a tragic car accident in Paris. Tony Blair's PR-Director Alastair Campbell (Mark Bazeley) immediately writes a speech for the Prime Minister which touches the people. In it he calls her the "People's Princess". The citizens so demand a public funeral but the Queen and her husband Prince Philip (James Cromwell), who are in a residence in Balmoral with Diana's two boys, are strictly against it. Prince Charles (Alex Jennings), Diana's ex-husband, does not agree with his mother's and his father's opinion. He quietly tries to push Prime Minister Tony Blair to convince the Queen to make a public funeral. And he succeeds; the Queen recognizes that there has been a shift in the public values so she accepts Blair's demands. The monarchy and the royal family regain popularity and so does Prime Minister Blair. The cast of the film is really excellent. Especially Helen Mirren, nominated for an Oscar for her role as "the Queen", shows a lot of variety. In one scene she is strict and tough and in the others she shows emotions and humanity. The viewer can easily identify with her. The language of the movie though is on a very high level, like politicians often use. But this should not stop you from watching it. It is a very dramatic movie for all ages. The movie offers a nice plot, an excellent Helen Mirren and beautiful pictures.