The Queen

[chinton]

Anybody seeing this it's getting great reviews.

[Lazy Boy]

I haven't seen it yet, but as soon as it opens wide, I'm definitely going.

[dman476]

Watching it next week (this week I'm busy with tests, the already seen Little Children, and the Departed).

[ChemicalRomance]

Had preview tickets to this but I couldn't make it.

Frears made a really good movie in DIRTY PRETTY THINGS so I might check this out.

[Lazy Boy]

The Queen - 8/10

For a film dealing with a dark week for many involved -- the death of Princess Diana -- Stephen Frears' films keeps its morale up through wit provided by a wonderfully original script, highlighting both fact and fiction as to the events of that time and how the royal family dealt with it. Largely at the behest of Tony Blair (played extremely well by Michael Sheen, cheshire cat grin and all), there is an urgency for Elizabeth (Helen Mirren, a master in understatement) to publicly aknowledge Di's death, though the cost of admitting grief for this woman is shown to be a heavy price to pay, especially when it comes to public disapproval about skirting the tragedy.

Yet, as cheeky and pithy as some of the lines are (Elizabeth notes the same thinking happening to her will happen to Blair, cut to his stunned face, wah wah), there is no room for craven dispositions, with the exception of the crass Philip (James Cromwell, clearly having fun with his character's contempt). Elizabeth isn't mocked, although her demeanor as Queen of England is -- I love how even the dogs fall in line at her command, arm extended. And, there's a beautiful moment where she looks upon the serenity of a stag. We know, deep inside and through Mirren's subtle performance, that the stag hunt and the paparazzi hunt that ended Di's life are being connected as one by this woman. The "modernization" of England is apparent on her mind, and she knows the change must come from how she rules in the past to how she must adapt to things in the personal life of the royal family that may not suit her. Yet, she remains true to herself, even against a media wave mourning the popularity of the "People's Princess."

Terrific performances by Mirren and Sheen, a fantastic script that should win Best Original Screenplay, and Frears' unstuffed direction make The Queen a fantastic forebearer of the (potentially) great fall season.

[Lazy Boy]

Bump this thread...

Ebert's first written review in a LONG time has been posted, and it's in regards to The Queen:

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061012/REVIEWS/61012001/-1/email_headlines

[dman476]

Thanks for posting the review Lazy Boy.

I've decided that I'm watching this tomorrow instead of Man of the Year. :)

[chinton]

watching this tommorw or Sunday since there's nothing else to see

[Lazy Boy]

Holy shit, this is at 99% on Rotten Tomatoes, with 78 counted reviews!!

[chinton]

A witty and very interesting movie that takes a character and subject that could have been one note and makes it surprisngly complex. This is a fairly simple film. It's very talky with really no big action or even big emotional scenes to speak of but it was well-written, and I thought really rather interesting. And Helen Mirren is just fantastic in this. It's an incredibly subtle performance, but it's also a natural and nuanced performance. There wasn't one second I didn't believe she was the Queen. Admittedly, some of the side characters are a bit one-note and I wouldn't say it blew me away, but I really liked it.

8/10

[dman476]

Glad you liked it Chinton.
I liked it fine, but I didn't find it particularly interesting.

The Queen - 6/10

I didn't find the problem of the film being that it was indecisive on how to portray the queen or that it was dreadfully boring (which it was, by the way), but rather my main problem with the film is that it is in-capable of ingraining style.
That sounds ridiculous, but I don't think it is. The film takes off, but gets stuck half-way. What I mean by this is that it never explores a particularly intriguing parallel to the events set in motion, it just...yes, stoically moves about without choosing either a perspective or a moral indention. There are many open spaces for the film to take off, take examples of: why does the public react as it does, or why is the queen so emotionally distant that she pities a deer more than the Princess Diana? Most of this is touched, and then left alone to its misery, and I blame this on Peter Morgan - the man who has defiled two hotly anticipated films this year (for me). The Queen is bland and apathetic, and Frears and Mirren just couldn't save it.
Michael Sheen felt a little out of place, and Cromwell was a bit too cynical, but all that would be forgiven if the film had a true plot behind it; a machine of audience encapsulation, if you will, but sadly it doesn't. By the end, I felt as if I didn't take from the film that what I wanted. It was as if the film was trying to say something but couldn't get it on paper (or the screen), which is all right in its own manner, just that it doesn't work for a politically retroactive film like this.

[Strider]

The Queen - 6/10 or ***/***** stars

Have you ever seen a film in which the lead actor delivers a great performance, yet the film itself is far from great? The Queen is one of those films, sadly. Helen Mirren's depiction of Queen Elizabeth II during the aftermath of Princess Diana's death is flawless, and her performance is truly superb, and a definite lock for a Best Actress nomination. Other than being unimpressive overall and moving at an excruciatingly slow pace, the film leaves the viewer feeling confused due to director Stephen Frears indecisiveness about how exactly to portray the Queen. He paints two portraits of the title character: the first scathing, and the other sympathetic. And the film switches back and forth between portraits, which eventually becomes distracting. A better decision would have been to portray the Queen as scathing or sympathetic, not both. The Queen should please those who are fascinated by the British monarchy and the "Royal Family," as well as those who do not mind very slow-paced character studies, and if seen, is only worth seeing for Mirren and Mirren alone.

Strider

[Bourne101]

I'd have to bring my pillow and blanket to the theatre if I was going to see this one. The trailer tried to put some pazazz into the movie with the whole Princess Diana thing. But then in the middle and end of the trailer it's just boring old grey haired Queen walking around talking like a fucking idiot.

[parsonz]

how can a film about the queen be intersting, its a complete waste of time

[SpikeDurden]

I've always been a fan of Mr. Frears, however last year's Mrs. Henderson Presents left quite a bit to be desired. His followup, The Queen, has received universal critical acclaim, both for the film, and for Hellen Mirren's performance. While I don't agree with some critics who have called the film a "masterpiece" or "one of the best of the year," The Queen is indeed a charming and surprisingly witty film. Thanks to a wonderful and clever screenplay, what could've become a shlocky melodrama is instead a beautifully constructed and quite funny film. Hellen Mirren is, of course, absolutely wonderful, and she plays the role with the perfect amount of wit, emotion, and solitude. Michael Sheen is every bit her equal as the energetic Tony Blair, and I hope he is not forgotten come awards time.

While it is certainly fascinating to get an inside look at the events surrounding the death of Princess Di and the actions of the royal family, I can't help but feel that the scope of this film is too limited for its own good. Perhaps its the slightly misleading title, but for a film that obviously wants to humanize one of the more enigmatic leaders of our world, I can't help but feel that focusing on such a specific event was the wrong way to go. Because of this, the film almost comes off as slightly shallow, which, in my opinion, is what stops the film from being truly great.

***/****