The Queen - Stephen Frears
7 January 2008If you're new here, you may want to subscribe to my RSS feed. Thanks for visiting!
A year short and it might have marked the decade after Diana, Princess of Wales was mourned that Stephen Frears’ The Queen was released. Focusing much on the week that the fateful accident happened, it’s not much about Diana herself, but how this tragedy has put a spotlight on the role of the monarchy in Britain in the face of a more demanding society.
It’s a diabolic dance between two classes of people at both ends: the royalty, safely ensconced at their palaces tenaciously clinging to tradition and protocol at one end; the public, and thus the subjects, at the other stoked by media into a Diana frenzy demanding that the monarchy do the same. Bridging the two is the newly minted Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
Central to the movie is Her Majesty Queen Eizabeth II played with aplomb by Helen Mirren. Other than the uncanny resemblance, she does gives justice to the role with quite dignity and steely composure. She provides a look at, perhaps, how the queen, a fiercely independent woman saw and reacted to the apparent weakening of the monarchy’s influence brought about by their aloofness and detachment but at the same time, humble enough to be receptive of her Prime Minister’s advice.
Tony Blair, effectively embodied by Michael Sheen sees through the dilemma of bringing the two entities together and judiciously advices the queen in an attempt at damage control. But at the same time, you would wonder if he is also milking the situation for self promotion as he basks in the glowing headlines he has been reaping.
The Queen is a well crafted film. The script allows for the actors, especially Mirren to shine. Of course, the supporting cast: James Cromwell (Prince Philip), Alex Jennings (Prince Charles), Sylvia Syms (Queen Mother), Helen McCrory (Cherie Blair) were brilliant.
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