Living Up to the Hype: A Review of the DVD The Queen

In this day and age it's always nice, and often a surprise, when the hype surrounding a movie actually manages to measure up. The movie "The Queen" was praised constantly from day one for the performance of Dame Helen Mirren. Critics seemed to be bending over backwards to heap the praises upon her. Then the awards started showering down upon her like a hail storm in the Midwest during a particularly fierce storm. How good could it really be? Well, it's really nice to report that all of that hype turns out to be true.

This movie is riveting from the first moment to the last. You probably already know the story. Princess Diana dies in a car accident. Queen Elizabeth II is pressured by the people to make some kind of public statement and to fly a flag at Buckingham Palace at half-mast. The problem? Well, nearly 400 years of tradition says that this is supposed to be a very private matter. Diana was not, technically, a royal any longer. Yes, she was the mother of the princes and future king but she was no longer and HRH. The flag is only supposed to fly over the palace when a royal is in the residence. Tradition dictates that this entire episode is supposed to be handled as quietly as possible and with dignity.

The problem, of course, is that Diana was the "People's Princess." We all remember the out-pouring of grief the entire world seemed to show. The world outside the walls of the palace have changed. With the election of the young new Prime Minister Tony Blair who promises to bring unprecedented changes to the country the rest of Great Britain has said they want things to be done differently.

The resentment against the royals grows. As they continue to try to hold firm to their traditions the rest of Europe seems to be calling for their heads. At one point 1 in 4 Britons are calling for the total abolishment of the monarchy. Will the Queen finally come forward and make a statement? Will she mourn publicly? Can Blair show the royals how the world has changed?

The performances in this movie are just amazing. Helen Mirren is truly amazing. This is her show. She somehow manages to convey Elizabeth as a true woman. Even though she is sticking by tradition and frustrating you as you watch you cannot help but understand the pressure she is under. All of that tradition, centuries of it, standing firmly on her shoulders, pressing down upon her and, at the same time, everyone demanding that she do something she has been bred throughout her life not to do. You end up caring about her as much as you are frustrated by her stubbornness.

The other performances almost get lost in her dazzling portrayal. I mean, really, I cannot stress enough how good she is. She completely personifies Queen Elizabeth. It isn't just her appearance, which is excellent, but the way she talks and walks and carries herself. So many great scenes are here. It is amazing to watch the Queen still driving her own 4-wheel drive vehicle into the country. It is interesting to see her exchange quips with the man painting her portrait at the beginning of the film.

Not to be outdone, though, Michael Sheen manages to counter-balance her performance as that of Tony Blair. I guess Sheen does not truly look like Tony Blair but he manages to capture Blair's excitement and youthfulness so completely it is easy to forget the appearances. The filmmakers also manage to create news clips that look so real you honestly will believe that this is Tony Blair, the way he walked and exactly what he said.

Blair manages to go from distrusting and rolling his eyes at the Royals to sympathizing with them. There comes a speech near the end, when one of his staff makes a rude remark about Elizabeth after she has finally appeared in public, where he explains why he sympathizes with her plight. It is a truly remarkable speech and delivered particularly well.

James Cromwell is Philip, the traditional and unwavering husband of Elizabeth. His performance seems completely overlooked. Maybe because he is playing someone who so obviously loathed Diana and is so rigidly traditional he comes across as a bit of a villain. However, I say, because of this his performance is worth noting. Philip is a man completely out of touch. He cannot fathom why people would be weeping so much for someone they do not know and would never know.

Syliva Syms plays the Queen Mother and she is very funny. Whenever you see the Queen Mother in the news she almost appears so old that she is out of touch. Syms plays her as someone all-too aware of what is going on around her. When she is told there are plans to base Diana's funeral on the plans she helped create for her own, her reaction is priceless. Look for the way she says the word "celebrities."

Alex Jennings plays Prince Charles and Charles manages to come off not looking like a villain. He seems to understand what Diana represented. He looks to connect with Blair. He wants to seem modern. He prods and pushes at his mother to do the right thing. He comes across as sympathetic, a man who is heartbroken and sad and trying to come across to the rest of the world as someone who is understanding.

I must confess I thought a movie about the Royal family in England would be boring. I was hoping that Mirren's performance would be at least half as good as everyone said it was. I was delighted. The performance is transcendent and the movie is actually quite interesting.

The DVD does not come with much in the way of extras. There is a typical making-of documentary and the filmmaker commentary. Oh, and I should not forget that this movie was directed by Stephen Frears! He does a great job and let's Mirren just do what she does best.