Old Dinosaurs Learning New Tricks ...

Rating: 8/10 (4 February 2007)

I have to admit that I never quite got that whole Princess Diana thing -- the awe that she inspired, and still does. I didn't hate her or anything, but I remember shortly before her infamous death I saw her on the cover of a magazine and I thought to myself "Is there anyone on earth who should be of less interest?"
Okay, she did the Cinderella bit and married into a royal family only to find the "happily ever after" myth didn't quite pan out. A bad marriage, disapproving in-laws and a messy divorce and what did she get out of it? Untold wealth, immense fame and adoration, jet set friends and she even got to keep the royal title. Not a bad haul, I'd say. The self-pitying poor little rich girl image just didn't move me. And when she died, the whole world seemed to go into a state of frozen shock in a way that hadn't been seen since JFK was assassinated. And as the world mourned, I scratched my head in confusion.
All of this is a way of me getting around to saying that going into THE QUEEN, I was more than little bit sympathetic to the royal family. The film deals with how Queen Elizabeth faced an unexpected public relations nightmare upon Diana's death and while I can't say that I was any more enamoured by the Royals than I was with Diana, I appreciate their predicament. The Golden Girl to the rest of the world was at best an ex-in-law to The Royals and at worst a disgruntled ex-employee of Her Majesty Inc. Not only did Diana seem inappreciative of all that being part of the monarchy had given her, she showed little restraint in bucking royal protocol by complaining to the press. And just when Elizabeth thought she was more or less rid of her, the so-called "People's Princess" proves she can upstage the monarchy in death just as effectively as in life.
In a wonderfully understated performance, Helen Mirren plays the Queen with an unpretentious, down-to-earth -- if a bit joyless -- directness. There is neither a trace of condescension nor satire in her approach and she invests a surprising amount of compassion in a character who is strangely lacking in passion. Her Elizabeth II wears the burden of power almost defiantly, as if she has to prove that she can, despite half a century of proof that she is up to the chore. All she expects is that everybody play by the rules, including herself -- never mind whether the rules are fair or make sense. Thus, when faced with the expectations that the rules be revised, once again, to accommodate Diana, she is not amused -- or even understanding.
What the Queen never seems to grasp is that Diana was modern-day royalty -- not part of an arcane line of inherited sovereignty, but someone who is famous for being famous. A celebrity. Though the Queen claims her status as divine privilege, Diana out ranked her; her acclaim anointed by the masses, via the media. What THE QUEEN makes clear is that while the royal family really should be commended for not exploiting Diana's tragedy with insincere grief, they really had no choice but to become part of the world-wide sob-fest. However inexplicable or undeserved Diana's notoriety might have been, it was too potent to ignore.
That is where Prime Minister Tony Blair comes in. Though recognizing that the monarchy is a dinosaur, Blair realizes that just having a dinosaur is something unique. And the care and feeding of a dinosaur is a delicate chore. Despite the subject matter, THE QUEEN is largely a comedy of manners, a droll and understated examination of how Blair coaxes Queen and Co. to adapt to the times in an effort to avoid extinction. Grudgingly, indignantly, Elizabeth deigns to allow Diana the royal treatment one last time. But, while public opinion may make the Queen mourn, nobody can make her cry.
Despite Mirren's wonderfully dour performance, THE QUEEN is hardly a one-woman show. As Blair, Michael Sheen gives a lively and humorous performance as a man who also must adapt, evolving from someone opposed to the monarchy to one who passionately must defend the royal family and all that it entails. And James Cromwell is all impotent bluster as the perpetually outraged Prince Phillip. But curiously the most sympathetic character is Prince Charles, played by Alex Jennings; caught between two powerful and self-centered women, Charles ends up being a minor character in the film, just as he has become in reality.
In the end, THE QUEEN knocks the royal family off the throne, but not in a cruel or radical way. Perhaps what made Diana so popular was that she seemed human, a trait either bred out of those born to the monarchy or a trait that they had been carefully trained to hide. Either way, I left the movie liking the royal family just a little better -- except for Diana, who I still just don't get.