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Great Britain's royal pain in the butt . . . The Queen.
We aren’t sure why this movie was made, why it was released at this time, or even how historically accurate it is, but its story is a bit interesting. After Princess Diana was killed at the end of August, 1997, a lot of activity was happening behind the scenes and is now portrayed to us in The Queen. Tony Blair was just elected as Prime Minister and one of his first duties was to run interference between Queen Elizabeth II, played by Helen Mirren, and the public to make sure Diana’s funeral met everyone’s expectations. The problem was, Diana was no longer considered royalty because of her divorce from Prince Charles (Alex Jennings). Queen Elizabeth II didn’t believe a royal funeral was appropriate, but the people were quietly demanding Diana be shown great respect. Tony Blair had to convince the Queen that Diana really was the People’s Princess and was adored by millions around the world. The Queen’s main concern was protecting her grandchildren while Princess Charles hoped to honor the memory of his ex-wife.
In spite of strong acting and interesting scenery, it is The Queen's rare insight into the mysterious world of modern day royalty that is most fascinating. It seems to authentically reflect the lifestyle and culture, while also aptly demonstrating the remarkable lifetime burden produced by a nation's skeptic eye and a thousand years of tradition. Still, the nature of the movie - which includes numerous private moments of and private conversations between key figures - suggests a considerable amount of speculation was involved in its creation. So, though it provides a unique perspective on one of the most prominent events of our time, it is better viewed as an artistic representation of the monarchy rather than a factual account of the family's experience during one event. Perhaps most importantly, though, The Queen is completely English. If you don't care for the culture, you'll find the whole thing a "dreadful bore."
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On the Movie Night Traffic Light on a scale of GREEN meaning “Go – it’s a must see”, YELLOW meaning “Caution – it’s okay” and RED meaning “No - stop don’t do it."
We rate The Queen YELLOW. Caution – the movie is interesting, but won’t appeal to everyone. |
