Review: The Queen (2006)

Stephen Frears' understated chronicle of the week following the death of Princess Diana, is an astonishingly humanizing character study of both Tony Blair and Queen Elizabeth II, highlighting their own flaws and their own strengths, all in a remarkably effective, yet no doubt primly British manner.

Frears' direction does not draw attention to itself, yet is still an effective and precise way of constructing the film. Blending in the character drama with a helping of archival historical news footage, Frears focuses his attentions firmly on the characters and the actors playing them, with Helen Mirren and Michael Sheen turning in career best performances, along with a health of supporting players, all of whom are in top form. Coupled with Peter Morgan's insightful screenplay, the film takes it's time, allowing the characters to be studied in a warm, quiet manner, while still giving the film an emotional weight and sense of purpose.

Helen Mirren's performance won her a well deserved Oscar, as she gives Queen Elizabeth II the perfect balance of humanity and elegance, while still allowing the traditional British character flaws of Stiff Upper Lip and stifled emotions to show through. But at the same time, her performance is fully rounded, and remarkably subtle and precise. So much is said with the expressions on her face, or the way her eyes emote, and it stands as a master class on completely absorbing a part into one's self.

Michael Sheen as Tony Blair doesn't skimp out either, balancing Blair's desire for change and a new way of doing things with his innate respect for the Royal Family. He's automatically likable and relatable, and his interactions with Mirren are pitch-perfect. He has an easy going amiability to him, and Sheen's performance was unjustly snubbed an Oscar nomination.

Rounding out the cast are the ever reliable James Cromwell as Elizabeth's stern faced husband Philip, Alex Jennings as the emotional Prince Charles, and Slyvia Syms as the Queen Mother, Elizabeth. All of them are spot on, and, like Mirren, truly manage to humanize the Royals. They're shown as entirely human people, albeit, within the world of the British Royal Family, which is obviously radically different from the rest of the outside world.

Alexandre Desplat's score is another wonderful aspect of the film. An elegant, refined affair, Desplat, as always, is able to fill his music with emotion and sincerity, while also maintaining an elegance and minimalistic preciseness that is akin to the work of Maurice Ravel or Claude Debussy.

So all in all, The Queen is an understated, yet remarkably effective film. Not wishing to grandstand or draw attention to itself, it simply tells its story with refined simplicity and straightforwardness, and in doing so, tells it well.

5 out of 5 stars.