The Queen

The time has passed to explode into wild raptures about how marvelous “The Queen” is. It’s been in limited release since September 30, 2006 when it opened in New York. I will not take the time to lambaste the film industry for not making such truly great movies, as “The Queen,” immediately available to wide audiences, it doesn’t matter now because, like “The Queen,” they eventually arrive and are well worth the wait.
I loved this movie, I’ll just say up front, and I am not alone. According to the online database www.rottentomatoes.com, “The Queen” was the best-reviewed film of 2006, garnering rave reviews from the nation’s most prestigious critics, with 49 of every 50 reviews being positive.
For the role of Queen Elizabeth II, the incomparable Helen Mirren has already won the Golden Globe for Best Actress in a Drama. Her performance, about which I will talk shortly, seems to be the film’s most praised aspect. It is an easy selling point for it is, in short, the best on-screen embodiment of a character seen this year.
As it turns out, much to my enjoyment, it is merely a one-woman show. Everyone in “The Queen” turns in a top of the line performance. As the smart and supportive Prince Phillip, James Cromwell does his best work in ages. Alex Jennings portrays a Prince Charles who is caught between tradition and a want of modernization.
The best of the supporting cast, however, is Michael Sheen who plays the newly elected British Prime Minister Tony Blair who has not been in office almost at all when he is faced with a situation that places him right in the middle of the people of England and a monarchy that is becoming increasingly unpopular.
The plot of “The Queen,” for it does in fact have a plot to justify all the terrific performances, revolves around the interactions of the Royal Family, Prime Minister Tony Blair, the media, and the citizens of England during the time between the sudden death of Diana Princess of Whales on August 31, 1997 and her funeral one week later on September 6.
Having very limited recollection of that time, I was unaware of the political tension that surrounded the Royal Family, most specifically Queen Elizabeth II during the week of silence during which she refrained from making a public statement to comfort her mourning nation. While Prime Minister Blair attempted to console the country, as well as the rest of the world, the press and the masses grew steadily angrier toward the monarchy for showing no outward signs of sadness.
What makes Helen Mirren so incredible in this role is how completely she portrays a woman who must balance centuries of tradition and nobility with the actions she must take to maintain leadership of her sorrowing population.
Because the curtain is pulled back we can see the private inner workings of the Royal Family as well as the mounting indignation of the public. Ultimately we must side with the Queen, and how could we not? She is smart and well spoken, and in everything she tries to do what is best for her subjects.
One of the main plot arcs in the film is the way the new Prime Minister comes to understand and admire the Queen. In the beginning he and his wife privately mock the Queen and the monarchy for being stoic and removed from their country. As the events of that week play out Blair comes to understand and sincerely admire how remarkable a leader the Queen is. Because we the audience are given an insider’s view, we too recognize the strength and commitment displayed by Britain’s Queen.
It takes an outstanding performance to lift a movie to the level of masterpiece. “The Queen” not only has an outstanding performance in Mirren’s sovereign, but it is filled out by a fabulous supporting cast, beautiful settings and reevaluation of a memorable piece of recent history that makes this one of the very best films of the year.

A