Saturday, February 3, 2007

The Queen



This movie was about the two week period leading up to and the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. The Royal family, especially HM Queen Elizabeth II, wanted to keep it a private matter, but the Prime Minister - Tony Blair - felt that the people of England needed a public show of mourning.

Helen Mirren plays HM Queen Elizabeth II. It was a good movie and Helen Mirren was great as the Queen. The movie showed the battle between the Royal family's need to keep the funeral a private affair and protecting the young princes - William and Harry - and the British public that needed the Royal Family to help them heal. Some of the footage was original footage of British citizens and funeral footage which made the movie seem more real. Helen Mirren was able to convey the emotional turmoil and trying to remain dignified. This came across as robotic and emotionless which caused a disconnect between the Royal family and the public.

While this movie was good and depicted a true story in a comprehensible manner, it is not good enough to make it into my top 5 movies. I enjoyed the movie and it seemed accurate, but it is not a movie I will want to see over and over again. If you are interested in the Royal family this is definitely a must see and I would not be surprised if Helen Mirren receives an Oscar for her performance.