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Queen, The
****1/2
Excellent
Oscar winning film about the conflicting feelings and reactions of the Royal Family in the week after Princess Diana’s
death. The Queen also shows the differing views within the newly elected Labour government with Tony
Blair’s defence of the monarchy contrasting with his wife’s gentle republicanism and Alistair Campbell’s
more forthright anti-royal views. Tensions are also shown n the Royal Family with the Queen Mother and
Prince Philip looking to carry on as usual, Prince Charles looking for the family to show public grievance and the beleaguered
Queen stuck in the middle.
This has all the making of a rather crass soap opera type movie in lesser hands but director
Stephen Frears and the cast play it with great sensitivity. Oscar winner Helen Mirren is outstanding in
the title role but everyone else is also excellent with the film feeling very realistic. We don’t
really know how close this all is to what really happened yet The Queen is an excellent, subtle and sensitive film which is
very much worth seeing.
Released: 2006
Seen by me: 28.8.07
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