Royal protocol is a silly bore but amusing

Rating: 7/10 (16 December 2006)

This was an 'interesting' take on the happenings within the palace and the conflict between Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth. I say interesting because it shows a side of the royal family that we have never seen(whether rightly depicted or not)and my friend and I chuckled throughout at the absurdities of the royal Family. They just didn't get it!Their world was and still is I suppose so far removed from the rest of the world that they sometimes appeared almost pathetically indifferent but in a childlike way.
Helen Mirren was absolutely wonderful and no one and I mean no one could have played Lizzy like her...she was Lizzy. She showed us an uptight serious woman who was damned if she was going to succumb to public pressure and in the end simply had no choice.Somehow I felt she blamed Blair for making her choose the right way ,after all , the other Royals, aside from Charles, thought she was perfectly right in her refusal to acknowledge Diana"s death. I thought Michael Sheen as Tony Blair(actually looked like him) was also good and he found himself actually liking(?) admiring(?) the Queen (maybe not her actions but the woman herself) and his wife Helen McCrory was a hoot.
"Royal protocol is an absolute silly bore" as Blair's wife showed us amusingly.
Prince Phillip came across as a pompous ass and Charles,well he was a no show although he seemed at least part way conscious of public feeling.I also found it amusing that Margaret was shown as someone who just didn't count so she was better off holidaying...somewhere.And the Queen Mummy....I'm actually chuckling as I write this.
As I said it was in all a very interesting movie. I'm glad I saw it and had a few laughs.