ShangLuda Admirable film.

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

Kimball Exactly the movie you think it is, but not the movie you want it to be.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

Mrbrown43 Can you remember the weeks after the death of Princess Diana? For those who don't remember or were not there at the time, the Princess of Wales Diana Spencer died on 31st of August 1997 and the whole world went into morning. The British people in particular were very upset with her death with seemingly millions joining together in their grief, an unprecedented move that was never before seen or since. This is the backdrop for The Queen.The Queen begins with Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) being elected Prime Minster and goes through the next few weeks until the public funeral on September the 5th. The main focus is on the royal family trying to comprehend the death and struggling to understand the reaction that occurred. The film does itself a favour by focusing on the Royal family and inability to understand the change of behavior on the British people. I like fact the movie does not vilify or deify the family, it treats them like humans. Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth 2nd is so very believable as the queen, you do not even see her as Helen Mirren, for all intents and purposes is the Queen. She is a woman who does not understand what to do asides from what is to be expected of her and the film does not judge her on it, if anything it sympathies with her. Michael Sheen is uncanny as Tony Blair, his smile, his accent it is all so believable. Same goes with James Cromwell as Prince Philip I can't see anyone else portraying Prince Philip or anyone else doing it as well as James Cromwell. The film is flawless on a technical standpoint; I cannot see any flaws in terms of filmmaking. Overall a very well made movie. I think one of the best moments of editing in the moving is how the movie inter cuts old recordings of Diana with the first person perspective of the driver and the occasionally cut to the reporters chasing the car.The film is mostly accurate to the historical events, with some minor chances to simplify the events for narrative purposes. It does paint the press in a somewhat negative light and does gloss over the entire backlash against the journalists that resulted in Diana's death. It just has a missed opportunity that could have been explored if it had a longer running time. But it does not really hurt the movie overall. The Queen is a pretty good movie all things considered. I really cannot find much to talk about. So yeah...

Maria Johnsen Premise: The old world conflicting perspectives and Elizabeth II has to perform her duty as the Queen of England. The film features Helen Mirren in the lead role as Queen Elizabeth II and captures the dilemma that engulfed the royal family after the heartbreaking demise of the most loved royalties of England, Princess Diana. The dilemma of the Queen and the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair was about finding a middle ground on how to behave openly over the misfortune. At this point, the highly confidential and secluded lives of royalties would conflict with the masses desire to see an overt display of grief. After the Princess's demise in a ghastly auto-accident in September of 1997, it became clear that the masses were not happy with the Royals . This film created by Stephen Frear basically offers a narrative that builds up to The Deal. The Deal is a television drama that was written by Peter Morgan and directed by Frears. It captures the interplay between the former PM, Tony Blair and his successor Gordon Brown. Renowned welsh actor, Michael Sheen gave an enigmatic and powerful enactment that showed Blair in his more fashionable, exuberant and youthful shade. This brilliant enactment is complemented by a daring actress who does the seemingly impossible enactment of the Queen, transforming a very confidential celebrity that is shrouded in awe and mystery into a relatable character. Unarguably, the feat Mirren accomplished by her role in this film has set her apart from the clutter as a legend.Although all of the facts that were used in the representations of Princess Diana in the film Good Night were meticulously gathered from bits and pieces of news, Diana's essence was felt by everyone that saw the film. After a great deal of public outburst and unrelenting demand, a clip of Diana which featured an eerie smile was released. The best approach to make this into a film is to create a parody. This is film angle was aptly played by a James Cromwell who acted the role of a bad-tempered Duke. Other comical films of royalty, includes Sylvia Syms who acted the role of a chagrinned Queen mother as well as Tim McMullan who played the role of a delightedly spiraling Alastair John, Tony Blair's spokesman. Nonetheless, there are many actual comments from the masses that are very crude and unnerving as some of the written stories. However, these films carry an unintended amount of emotional weight even though most people assume that they are no longer emotionally attached to such matters. A very popular act with the declaration "I was a mechanic during the war" from a careworn Queen stranded in wastelands by a damaged central shaft is one excerpt that has been used pervasively. This act gives you the impression that having Helen Mirren as Queen would mean the abandonment of democratic system in England. The film mirrors our times with stunning accuracy. The conflict between two worlds: new and old generatiWe are in a time where there is an excessive drive for theatrical sensationalism with an unquenchable desire for the scandalous. A way of life that has endured for centuries is now being rattled by a modern craving for exhibitions. The film brings to bear the lingering thought on the issue of the masses desired reaction from England's royalties. Through a line of inquiry of the Queen to the Prime Minister, the film creatively underscored a fundamental issue which was, in fact, the dilemma of the entire scenario. Do we stand in line with an ancient and honorable institution which is the cornerstone of the English way of life and heritage or do we pursue a contemporary response in the form of a public show of grief and compassion from a revered monarchy that has been recklessly reduced to the status of mere celebrity? The head-on collision between these opposing perspectives was revealed in stunning detail in the film.The film was crafted with a remarkable level of meticulousness and perfection that was further reinforced by one of the most electrifying acting one has ever seen! Mirren and the rest of the cast played their roles in a way that will leave any viewer engrossed. Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell and every other actor in the film did a spectacular job. The film was a masterpiece and a lot of kudos goes to the casting. At this point, one would like to make it clear that I have a deep appreciation for the English people who have defended, honored and maintained their cultural pride and ancient institutions even in a contemporary society. Quite frankly, I will certainly be a strong patriot to the monarchs if I were English. Undoubtedly, the film clarified many unattended concerns that have lingered in the minds of the masses for many years now. Most importantly, the film gave a very human perspective to the Queen, making her seem like the mother of England. The highlight of the film was the very engaging dialogues between Cromwell and Sheen coupled with their electrifying acting. Depicted in her very regal and elegant style with the air of mystery and quiet, the Helen played the role in a way that leaves you motionlessly ecstatic. The film moved me to tears many times. The filming quality is one aspect of the film that must be commended. The integration of actual videotapes recordings with the film gave the films a very formidable feel of authenticity.

studioAT Am I missing something here? For all the awards this film won, and the amount of press it gained at the time of its release I sat down to watch it expecting something special.I was wrong. This film is slow, biased, and lacking in any sort of enjoyable qualities.There was so much fuss about Helen Mirren's striking accurate portrayal of The Queen and Michael Sheen's version of Tony Blair, but having seen both I'm still waiting to see what all the fuss was about.I did not enjoy this film. I thought it was poor.

MisterWhiplash This rating is probably a little more generous than the film truly deserves, which is a shame since it comes from director Stephen Frears (of The Hit and High Fidelity among many other notables), and of course carries a serious pedigree with not only Helen Mirren but James Cromwell and, the one given the most character to play with Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. They all are in service of a story which is not really that interesting, or as captivating as it thinks it is.Of course the death of Princess Diana rocked the world with grief - or many parts of it, I can't speak for all if it, I just knew what I saw as a kid on TV at the time - and the whole narrative thrust of this film, which mostly takes place in a week's time give or take a day, is 'What will the Queen DO to respond to this national tragedy?' We're told a lot of things about how the Monarchy usually acts, and especially in this case it was tricky since it was the "English" way was to keep grief as a "personal" matter (of quiet desperation, Pink Floyd might say, but I'd say more like upper-crust, stuffy reserve is more like it). And, also of course, Diana's life was made anything but impersonal by the media.I think that how much you personally care about the Monarchy, what you think of its relevance for modern society (as in the past 25/30 years) matters watching The Queen because they are the chief component of it. And from what Frears and company show here, they were very sympathetic; what is it they DO that would keep them away from the (arguably) over-reaching frenzy of the public in their reaction to the Diana tragedy? Well, lots of hunting and walking the dogs and reading newspapers and tea time and other such things. For me, it doesn't exactly make them, or the Queen, seem very conflicted, and that's the problem with the movie.I actually would have been intrigued to see a Tony Blair movie, just about him, from seeing his work here: Sheen does an excellent job, as does the writing of him, to make Blair much more conflicted and have to deal with he pressures of public perception (and also the fact that he becomes sort of a glowing figurehead with his "People's Princess" remark). But his story is squeezed together with this supposed conflict of the Queens, which doesn't make for a terribly compelling arc. For most of the movie she is reluctant/hesitant/won't be in public to mourn, then she sees a giant elk, sheds a tear, and decides to do it. While she starts in one place and ends in another, and does have lots of conversations (like with the "Queen Mother", even more of an old-time blue-blood than she), there's too much telling and not enough showing of the change.Mirren is it goes without saying a tremendous talent, and I understand why the old-stuffy AMPAS gave a figure who was old-stuffy like Queen an Oscar (ironically they didn't give it to the most deserved that year Judy Dench for Notes on a Scandal, I imagine because they might've reasoned she already got hers... for playing Queen Elizabeth for 8 minutes in Shakespeare in Love). But it's not a character that gives the actress too much to do - or, rather, she has to do a *lot* to try and make her at least watchable and have these internal problems to deal with. Maybe they do show up and my own lack of concern for the monarchy showed, but it's also worth as a criticism to point out the movie didn't do enough to make me care as I should.Perhaps as a longer series this could work better, where we could see Blair and the Queen as (co) protagonists dealing with British affairs in their time (there's a hint about the troubles Blair would come across in the early 2000's as part of the Iraq war effort, at least that's how I read into it). As it stands it's not bad, but it's not terribly memorable either, except as Oscar-baiting regal drama with the occasional wink and nod to the audience about how stuffy this group is. From Frears, I would've expected more though.