Brilliant film-making

Rating: 9/10 (3 June 2008)

Helen Mirren is invisible in this film. You see Queen Elizabeth IIR living out a very difficult week, and you cannot believe it is just a film. She certainly earned the Oscar -- this is one of the best performances of any kind ever, where a well known star disappears completely within the role. It was worth seeing for that alone.
James Cromwell as Prince Philip and Michael Sheen as Tony Blair also turn in very solid performances.
The Queen also highlights the peculiarities of the UK's semi-constitutional monarchy, and the inherent tension between Queen and Prime Minister, where Her Majesty (after ten Prime Ministers) can address the man with the nuclear trigger like he is a novice.
You really feel as if you are getting a peek into the weird dynamics and private lives of the royal family, as well as the more (relatively) ordinary lives of the Prime Minister's, in spite of his tremendous power.
This was the most striking film I have seen in a long time.