It’s a film of delicious performances and great wit.
Comment
09/23/06
The Queen (2006)
97
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:177
Fresh:171
Rotten:6
Average Rating:8.4/10
Consensus: Full of wit, humor, and pathos, Stephen Frears’ moving portrait of the British royals during the period after Princess Diana's death features not one but two remarkable performances, that of Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Sheen as the newly-ordained Prime Minister Tony Blair. They embody their characters and lay bare the motivations behind these prominent people, giving viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of the British monarchy.
Theatrical Release:15-09-2006
Synopsis: Helen Mirren delivers a royally stirring performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears's fictional romp, THE QUEEN. The year is 1997, and Great Britain has a newly elected prime minister, the... [More]
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms
Director: Stephen Frears
Reviews for The Queen
Top CriticSeven days that shook the Monarchy to its very core are explored in this fascinating insight into the Royal Family following the death of Diana.
09/23/06
Fascinating, funny, wicked and to the point, this is an excellent film about a week every Briton over the age of 15 will remember vividly.
09/23/06
Top CriticEngaging drama with impressive performances, though it's slightly hampered by the fact that we already know how it ends.
09/23/06
This is, after all, a period movie that leaves you with a feeling of sadness at how little has changed.
09/23/06
Top CriticIt is intelligent, hilariously funny and, ultimately, rather moving.
01/20/07
Thoroughly gripping and ultimately moving.
08/24/06
Why is a British film as good as The Queen such a depressing rarity?
09/23/06
The serio-comic approach offers a confusing portrait of the Queen's public and private faces: part sober drama, part high camp, part soap opera, and part right royal romp.
06/13/07
Top CriticThe tabloid appeal is obvious, but Morgan's script is tomorrow's chip paper.
09/05/06
Top CriticBitingly funny... A surprisingly compassionate portrait of a rigid pragmatist in denial over the monarchy's out-of-touch dysfunction... Helen Mirren should start prepping her Academy Award speech now.
09/29/06
To give the narrative depth, bite, or oomph, as naturalism, irony, or romance, or some combination ... Morgan would have to have invented more (as Shakespeare and Schiller did with their historical royalty)....
12/31/06
You can't help but be taken by Mirren's faultless performance. Entranced by her every nuance. In awe of her very artistry as an actress.
01/26/07
The Queen is not difficult, [but] it is sufficiently and, yes, marvelously artistic...
10/11/06
It's easy to think of this as nothing more than a setting for Helen Mirren's performance ... which is, in a competitive year, at the top of the heap ... but the whole works on nearly every level.
01/03/07
I've barely recovered from watching Helen Mirren's exceptional portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I in the television series "Elizabeth I," and then I'm blown away by her performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears' moving and witty "The Queen."
10/16/06
How could Frears and his cast rise above the sins of the miniseries? One answer is the force of that cast.
10/02/06
Smartly relevant and affecting, commenting not only on the isolation of the monarchy but also on a tabloid culture run wild.
10/19/06
Secondary characters are caricatures and there are moments of symbolism that are too heavy-handed, though on the whole The Queen is dignified.
09/04/06
The Queen is an unqualified triumph that works on all levels.
02/28/08
Latest News for The Queen
January 20, 2009:
RT Interview: Michael Sheen on Frost/Nixon
Michael Sheen has made a name for himself playing real-life characters, from Tony Blair in The Deal and The Queen, to Kenneth Williams in Fantabulosa!. This week sees the... More...
October 25, 2007:
Hollywood Braces for Writers' Strike
We're just a few days away from the Writers Guild strike deadline, and things aren't looking good. More...
October 02, 2007:
Peter Morgan Preps Sequel to The Queen
Peter Morgan has taken his "Blair trilogy" from The Deal to The Queen -- and now, Variety reports, he's preparing the third installment. More...
September 11, 2007:
Toronto Film Fest: Ang Lee's Lust, Caution Reviewed
Among the higher profile entries in Toronto, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution had a particular notoriety coming in; not only were fest-watchers waiting to confirm or contradict the early... More...
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