Frears’ offers a little humanity in a person who is often perceived as ice cold.
If the Queen cries alone in a forest – does it make a sound? This is just one of the many questions that are raised and get answered in a behind the scenes portrait that qualifies itself much like what readers that read gossip magazines get out of learning that so and so are breaking up. All formalities aside, Stephen Frears digs into the monarchy psyche and offers up the season’s juiciest of comedies – yes you heard right, the protocol for The Queen is that its a drama fused with moments that display a family of stiffs more stiff than the stiff itself and cleverly demonstrates the relationships the Queen forges with the prime minister, the people and modern. This is an especially well-written, surprisingly touching period piece capped off in true Brit fashion.
One can never be truly be prepared for the untimely death of a family member and that notion certainly rings true and can’t be emphasized enough with the way in which the Queen of England and the rest of the royal family dealt with death of Lady Di or as some headlines dubbed her, the People’s Princess. While the film sheds no new light on the actual events that took place prior to, during and after away, Peter Morgan’s Venice-winning screenplay intercepts the likeliness of what occurred behind closed palace doors and with the insertion of the Blair references shows the interminable response time of the Queen sort of in the same manner when Bush Jr. waited an eternity to react to the TWC attacks. Personal grievance is normal, but having to share it with millions of others is anything but the norm.
Helen Mirren will be the nagging presence at the dozens of Best actress award ceremonies this year. The vet is a shoe-in because she convincingly interprets Queen Elizabeth as more than just a tightly wound up prim and proper citizen of the people. Here she locks up the screen in a collection of fantastic exchanges among the cast of other characters, (especially Michael Sheen’s Blair) but in private moment sequences Mirren expresses anger, sympathy and empathy without loading up the frame in exaggerated ranges of emotions. She and the rest of the cast are part of one of the better casting jobs of real people in years.
Perhaps what works best is that though everyone knows the series of events that occurred in 97’, the film maintains a certain unpredictability factor and sheds a whole new light on a very public figure that is very private and in moments of weakness – she is still very much the boss. Imagine the delight at watching the head of the British Royal Family making an impromptu 4X4 excursion without handlers or exchanging polite jabbing sessions with virgin prime ministers.
Frears acclimatizes the film with the right delivery and tone – maintaining the serious biopic ambiance while following a tight timeline. He offers a perfect blend between the recreated and the insertion of actual reel footage of the events and after showcasing a frumpy Judi Dench in Mrs. Henderson Presents, he convincingly delivers another strong older female character study.
