Movie Review - The Queen

The other day I went to the movies with a friend and we watched The Queen. Although another friend of my family had mentioned in passing that he really enjoyed the movie, I had no expectations at all other than it dealt with Queen Elizabeth II.

The movie actually is about the time period when Tony Blair is elected prime minister and Princess Diana dies tragically and unexpectedly. It delves into the relationship that is formed by the newly elect PM and the queen, by the way they handle the princess' death.

Before watching the movie, you could say that I liked Princess Di. After all, we watched her transformed from a awkward young bride to a cultured and sophisticated royal. More importantly, she seemed kind. I found Queen Elizabeth II non-interesting as a person. I did like Tony Blair. I found him to have a commanding way about him as well as charming.

Well, as the movie unfolded before my eyes, I was struck by the true character of Queen Elizabeth. She was no longer an uninteresting and dowdy old queen but a sensitive woman who had to make tough decisions. And for that, she was criticized by the Brits who constantly compared her to their beloved and modern princess.

The movie portrayed the queen as a real person. She had a hands on approach to daily life. For instance, she drove her own Range Rover; she took long walks with her dogs. She was portrayed as a humble woman when she asked permission to use the phone in her own kitchen. She showed her sensitive side when she reads the notes left by some mourners that must her hurt her deeply by their insensitive words attacking her personally.

In retrospect, she seemed to have been judged inaccurately by the people at the time of Princess Di's death. If she didn't overreact in trying to make a "big deal" of the funeral and memorial, it was because it was her way...the traditional English monarchy life she had always known.

At the end of the movie, I felt a new wave of respect and admiration hit me for this queen. Maybe it was the way they were portrayed but as my admiration grew for Queen Elizabeth, my respect for Prince Philip and Cherie Blair waned a bit. He being portrayed as too critical of Princess Di and somewhat mean spirited and Mrs. Blair as trying hard not to follow protocol as well as being too critical of the monarchy.

If you haven't already seen it, I hope you take the time to watch it. It is mostly dialogue, with actual footage of the princess taken around the time of her death. A group of young local kids walked out midway through the movie. It may have been too slow moving for them.

I understand the actress who played the queen, Helen Mirren, won the Oscar for Best Actress. I wouldn't have expected anything else. Her performance was magnificent! Last time I saw her in a movie was in Mosquito Coast where she played the long-suffering wife of Harrison Ford.

The video is being released this week and if you click the title above you can go to the official website to watch the trailer.