The Queen

Given the film’s austere subject matter, one could certainly be forgiven for expecting The Queen to possess a slow-moving, stuffy sort of vibe. But buoyed by Helen Mirren’s Oscar-winning performance and Peter Morgan’s truthful, surprisingly funny screenplay, the film ultimately comes off as a compelling drama that effectively humanizes the title character – ensuring that she is, at times, a figure that’s downright relatable. The movie details the turmoil within the monarchy in the weeks following Princess Diana’s death, as Queen Elizabeth II (Mirren), with the help of newly-elected Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), struggles with the most appropriate way to respond to her passing. Director Stephen Frears’ does a nice job of infusing The Queen with a straight-forward sensibility that suits the material quite well, though one can’t help but lament the film’s third-act transformation into a humorless and downright dry piece of work (ie the movie’s never quite as engaging as it is in its opening half hour, yet the whole thing is certainly never boring). Mirren’s justifiably lauded performance undoubtedly plays a key role in cementing The Queen‘s success and, for the most part, ensures that even those viewers with little patience for the Royal Family’s exploits will find themselves sporadically riveted.

*** out of ****