Queen and her people

Rating: 8/10 (17 September 2006)

Off with her Headlines!: Media, Menace and Monarchy After viewing the colourful collection of complexities in Stephen Frears' My Beautiful Laundrette I was exceedingly keen to get a viewing of The Queen. As expected the Leicester lad served up a refreshing in delicate piece looking voyeuristically into the depths of the royal household during public mourning of Diana, Princess of Wales.
Viewers should be aware that this is no mainstream run of the mill production and is peppered with strong emotion and dashes of awkward humour.
Helen Mirren masterfully portrays the struggling monarch with believable emotion and effortlessly shows the audience the difficulties of accepting change and the breaking of tradition. Underneath the marvellous scenery and accurate characters is a modern fable about press intrusion and the demand for change in contemporary Britain. As the obnoxious and single minded Alistair Campbell lusts over the headlines it is refreshing to see the Royals agonising of the real issues such as their private and familial grief for the loss of Diana.
At the very core of its message The Queen asks us to question to what extent one must pander to the role of the media and public opinion. Would we want our Queen to lust for headlines or grin like the pretentious Cheshire cat of Downing Street? This is certainly not a film which everyone will find entertaining. But if you are seeking a disturbingly accurate exploration of modern media and the role of the establishment then the Queen is certainly a must see.