November 01, 2006
The Queen
An absorbing and elegant film about what happens when ideas (past and present) clash
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Stephen Frears
Runtime: 97 minutes
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Stephen Frears
Runtime: 97 minutes
I've seen many strange movies in my life and to that still growing list I feel I have to add The Queen. Not because of the movie itself, necessarily, but more because of the story that bore it. Historical films are almost always centered around large-scale events. Whether it be the storming of the beach at Normandy or the attack on Troy, it seems as if studios are unwilling to commit money to a film unless the filmmakers can guarantee those things that we as an audience associate with these films: big explosions, thousand of clanging swords, or the recreation of long lost civilizations. That's why The Queen is such an anomaly to me. It's a film centered around one of the most inconsequential (in my opinion) events of all time - the royal family's reaction to the death of Princess Diana. Don't assume that I feel her death to be insignificant (she did great things for charity and was obviously loved my millions of people both in England and around the world) but I still find it odd that a filmmaker could build a movie around the British monarchy's reaction to said event. If The Queen proves anything, though, it's that a fascinating film can be built out of the tiniest moments in history.
Although the film features numerous wonderful performances, it ultimately boils down to a study of two people: Helen Mirren's dowdy Queen Elizabeth and Michael Sheen's idealistic Tony Blair. The two individuals come from completely different backgrounds but in the days following the death of the former princess, each find themselves struggling to salvage the good name of England's Royal Family. Elizabeth struggles to come to terms with a shifting national sentiment, away from the proper, rule-abiding attitude of years past to the more maudlin and media savvy culture of the present. In addition, Blair must find a way to resolve his affinity for the old monarchy and its ways with the revisionist approach he so boldly touted during his candidacy. And, while both people are at obvious odds with one another's views, there is a mutual admiration that grows over the course of the film.
The Queen is a movie full of small moments. There are no grand declarations or emotional monologues and this approach is helped along by two brilliantly understated performances. Helen Mirren will certainly be talked about at Oscar time and rightfully so. Although Mirren might not share the same physical characteristics with Elizabeth, her mannerisms and stoic persona make one forget that we are only watching someone portraying the Queen. The biggest surprise, though, is Sheen's performance. I was only familiar with Sheen's work from the Underworld movies (he plays the evil Lucian in the films) which made his performance in The Queen all the more surprising. Unlike the rest of the cast, Sheen does share a certain boyish resemblance to the Prime Minister but he's not content to allow the resemblance to be the part. Instead he embodies the character and imbues him with a wonderful mix of naivety, warmth, and intelligence.
Although Mirren's performance will certainly be remembered at Oscar time, the filmmakers will probably be passed over because The Queen is neither epic nor particulary button pushing (two things Academy members love). What The Queen is, though, is one of the nicest cinematic pleasures to come to theaters in quite some time and, to paraphrase Elizabeth in the film, it's a film that handles itself with both dignity and grace.
Although the film features numerous wonderful performances, it ultimately boils down to a study of two people: Helen Mirren's dowdy Queen Elizabeth and Michael Sheen's idealistic Tony Blair. The two individuals come from completely different backgrounds but in the days following the death of the former princess, each find themselves struggling to salvage the good name of England's Royal Family. Elizabeth struggles to come to terms with a shifting national sentiment, away from the proper, rule-abiding attitude of years past to the more maudlin and media savvy culture of the present. In addition, Blair must find a way to resolve his affinity for the old monarchy and its ways with the revisionist approach he so boldly touted during his candidacy. And, while both people are at obvious odds with one another's views, there is a mutual admiration that grows over the course of the film.
The Queen is a movie full of small moments. There are no grand declarations or emotional monologues and this approach is helped along by two brilliantly understated performances. Helen Mirren will certainly be talked about at Oscar time and rightfully so. Although Mirren might not share the same physical characteristics with Elizabeth, her mannerisms and stoic persona make one forget that we are only watching someone portraying the Queen. The biggest surprise, though, is Sheen's performance. I was only familiar with Sheen's work from the Underworld movies (he plays the evil Lucian in the films) which made his performance in The Queen all the more surprising. Unlike the rest of the cast, Sheen does share a certain boyish resemblance to the Prime Minister but he's not content to allow the resemblance to be the part. Instead he embodies the character and imbues him with a wonderful mix of naivety, warmth, and intelligence.
Although Mirren's performance will certainly be remembered at Oscar time, the filmmakers will probably be passed over because The Queen is neither epic nor particulary button pushing (two things Academy members love). What The Queen is, though, is one of the nicest cinematic pleasures to come to theaters in quite some time and, to paraphrase Elizabeth in the film, it's a film that handles itself with both dignity and grace.