Stephen Frears' new film about the royal family is many things, but most of all it is fittingly majestic. "The Queen" focuses on the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, shown through the experiences of Queen Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) and a wavering, newly-elected Prime Minister Tony Blair, and whether the beloved princess should have a public or private display of grief with the trials of a modernizing government.
There is little to fault with this docu-drama suitable for a queen. The all-British cast fits their characters almost too well in appearance and behavior, and the writing is intimate enough to play like an imperial version of "The West Wing." The sets and cinematography are absolutely gorgeous, as the camera strolls from elegant regal palaces to vast forested estates. The dialogue is filled with texture and Mirren is fantastic as the Queen, who in character could probably pass as the Queen herself on the street.
The movie shows a different side of the story than what most people remember from Diana's death nearly 10 years ago, but the reel is broken with vintage news clips showing public opinion from the time. Diana was known the world over for her marriage to Prince Charles and loved by people the world over for her charity work. Queen Elizabeth and the royal family did not like her for her anti-establishment views. Her time in the tabloids did not sit well with the royals, especially the war-raised Queen, who wished to stick with centuries of tradition.
So of course when the "people's princess" dies in a car accident caused by paparazzi attention, the public demands an extraordinary display of mourning. The reply goes beyond expectation: blocking the gates to Buckingham Palace, celebrities and heads of state filling the news programs with condolences and massive demonstrations in front of the Palace while the royal family hunts on vacation and wishes for the death to be a private affair. This, expectedly, does not go down well with the public, and eventually things get so bad that one in four British favor the abolishment of the monarchy.
The Queen is shown firm in her resolve that the whole matter is stirred up by the press and will soon die down, and she brilliantly conveys her confusion and humiliation when she realizes she cannot understand her own people. Another side of the conflict is shown through Tony Blair's recently elected Labor government, which seeks to "modernize" the country and sweep the royals along with it. Blair must broker a compromise between the demanding public and the Queen, who wishes to remain with tradition, contrary to the "modern" wishes of the new government.
"The Queen" looks and feels like something better placed in a late-night time slot on PBS than in a movie theater, and will probably entertain those who are aware of the history far more than those uninformed of recent British news. That shouldn't stop anyone from going to see a great character piece. Though it can be slow, it never stops being interesting and visually well done, and promises a new view on a recent and still divisive conflict.
