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.
The Queen (2006)
Rated: 12A
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
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 youthful, optimistic Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). In Buckingham Palace, the Queen doesn't... 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 youthful, optimistic Tony Blair (Michael Sheen). In Buckingham Palace, the Queen doesn't appear to be fazed by Blair's arrival. Then again, she doesn't appear to be fazed by anything. But when Diana--her son's ex-wife and the mother of her grandchildren--is killed in a tragic car accident, her authority is tested as never before. While the Queen Mother (Sylvia Syms) and Prince Philip (James Cromwell) agree with her decision to remain at their holiday estate in Balmoral and not publicly acknowledge the tragedy, Tony Blair feels differently. Unfortunately, so do the English people. Making matters worse is the out-of-control media, which has begun to castigate the queen for her silence. In order to retain her grip on the country that she has served for so many years, she must swallow her pride and let the world know that she does, in fact, care. With THE QUEEN, the consistently superior Frears (DIRTY PRETTY THINGS, DANGEROUS LIAISONS) strikes once again. Peter Morgan's devilishly clever script provides the foundation, but the expert performances are what make the film such an exhilarating ride. What begins as a humorous critique of the stuffy royal family becomes an unexpectedly sympathetic portrait of a woman who carries the weight of a nation on her shoulders. This film was chosen to be the opening night selection of the 44th New York Film Festival organized by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms, Alex Jennings
Screenwriter: Peter Morgan
Producer: Andy Harries, Tracey Seaward, Christine Langan
Composer: Alexander Desplat
DVD Info
Release:
Dec 4, 2008
DVD Features:
- Region 1
- Keep Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - Spanish
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English
- Subtitles - Spanish - Optional
Additional Release Material:
- Audio Commentary - 1. Robert Lacey - British Historian
- 2. Stephen Frears - Director; Peter Morgan - Writer
- Behind the Scenes - "The Making of THE QUEEN"
Reviews
It is intelligent, hilariously funny and, ultimately, rather moving.
Seven days that shook the Monarchy to its very core are explored in this fascinating insight into the Royal Family following the death of Diana.
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.
Engaging drama with impressive performances, though it's slightly hampered by the fact that we already know how it ends.
This is, after all, a period movie that leaves you with a feeling of sadness at how little has changed.
Why is a British film as good as The Queen such a depressing rarity?
The tabloid appeal is obvious, but Morgan's script is tomorrow's chip paper.
Like the Queen, Mirren is saying: This is how you act, this is how you survive, this is how you reign.
I was to this film. It's slow and plodding throughout, yet the format Frears brings to the table is gripping in its balance.
...a compelling drama that effectively humanizes the title character...
An intelligent script that keeps in the spirit and tone of Britain's House of Mountbatten-Windsor, and yet slyly manages a wink at the audience every now and then.
To his credit, Frears doesn't try to solicit too much sympathy for his Queen, but the film goes down the navel-gazing rabbit hole just the same.
... beneath the simple and straightforward facade lies a hidden depth that does not announce itself with dramatic intensity ...
Related Forums

by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/1/07

by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/1/07

by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/1/07

by: REEL_REVIEWER 10/1/07
Pictures
News
posted by Jeff Giles October 25, 2007
We're just a few days away from the Writers Guild strike deadline, and things aren't looking good.
posted by Jeff Giles October 02, 2007
Peter Morgan has taken his "Blair trilogy" from The Deal to The Queen -- and now, Variety reports, he's preparing the...
posted by Jen Yamato September 11, 2007
Among the higher profile entries in Toronto, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution had a particular notoriety coming in; not only...
posted by Nick Hershey March 16, 2007
In this week's Ketchup, producer Avi Arad talks "Spider-Man"'s future, with or without Tobey Maguire,...


Top Critic