Helen Mirren leads a faultless cast in an absorbing and unusual biopic - 85%

Rating: 8/10 (12 July 2008)

Movies based on a true story usually fall into two categories. Those which can't fail to stir the spirit with a rousing tale of triumph over tragedy ("Alive", for example) and those which end up on some commercial cable channel in the middle of the afternoon. Movies based around living people are even rarer and even more hit-and-miss. But I'm happy to say that this is a real masterpiece, dominated by Helen Mirren and rightly so but it would be hugely amiss not to mention the rest of the cast who are pretty much faultless throughout.
"The Queen" focuses on the week immediately after the death of Diana, Princess Of Wales in a car crash in 1997. The newly elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) leads the nation in their grief - primarily at the bidding of spin doctor Alastair Campbell (Mark Bazeley) - but the Queen (Mirren) is determined to keep things low-key and private, despite the increasing amount of public opinion against the Royal Family. As she struggles to hold her family together at Balmoral, she faces a crisis of confidence when she realises how badly she has handled matters.
It may be fairly short but "The Queen" is an astonishing piece of film. Based loosely around real events, it conjures up a mixture of fascination and sympathy for the Royal Family as well as memories of that fateful day. At no point is it tacky or intrusive - the crash itself is only partially seen and primarily made up of news reports from the time, making this almost seem like a documentary. A feeling amplified by the simply stunning cast. The only real (slight) disappointment is James Cromwell as Prince Phillip but the entire cast can look at this movie and be rightly proud of their performance. Mirren and Sheen match each other line from line, not only looking and sounding like their real-life counterparts but managing to evoke real sympathy for both characters. The scenes between Tony Blair and his anti-monarchy wife Cherie (Helen McCrory) arguing at home over the breakfast table are surreal to watch and I suspect that the character of Alastair Campbell was himself "sexed up" to make him slimier and nastier in the movie than he was/is in real life.
I honestly thought I wouldn't like this film but nothing makes me happier to be proved wrong on this occasion. It's not something that will grab the attention of everybody but for sheer acting brilliance, you'd be hard pressed to beat "The Queen". Being believable and captivating in equal measures is no easy feat for any "true story" flick (though "The Queen" is only half-based in fact) but with a killer screenplay and wonderful performances at every level, this is one movie that every serious film fan should watch. It won't be to everybody's taste (my Better Half found it slow and boring, though she too raved about the acting) but because it's so unusual to see these people on screen, talking about events that are still very much in the minds of the audience, it's remarkable how well the film pulls you in and refuses to let go. Good on you, ma'am!