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The
Queen*****
Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Slyms and
Alex Jennings.
Directed by
Stephen Frears
Tagline:
Tradition prepared her. Change will define her.
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Brilliant.
This is the verdict for The Queen. All hail Helen Mirren and all hail
writer Peter Morgan. The Queen is a grippingly dramatic tale that
goes deep inside the House of Windsor; a film that makes one love
and hate Queen Elizabeth II at the same time.
Hating her has never been a problem but it's the love that one finds
implausible. How can anyone possibly love the woman who was indifferent
to the death of the people's princess, Lady Diana? You watch the film
with this thought lingering in your head. Brace yourself, that attitude
changes with the provocatively realistic flick, The Queen. It goes
backstage at the Buckingham Palace and traces the aftermath of the
death of the world's most popular, most lovable Princess there ever
was and how it changed the British Monarchy, literally!
The film opens
a day before Lady Diana's death when Tony Blair is sworn in as the
Prime Minister. The next day, Lady Diana tragically dies in a car
accident with Fayed Al Dodi while being chased by Paparazzo. The Queen
follows what happened next in the British government and the Royal
family and how Lady Di's death turned into a media spectacle, changing
everything Queen Elizabeth II stood for.
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Writer Peter Morgan along with director Stephen Frears brings this
story forward but doesn't bash the Queen with it. Going into the plot
will take away the fun but here's why this is a must-see film...
The Queen changes some perceptions, if not all. To say that Lady Diana's
death was devastating would be an understatement. It brought people
out on the streets, in front of the Buckingham Palace and most importantly,
it questioned the Monarchy and threatened its so-called power.
Queen Elizabeth's behaviour was inexplicable for millions. Why didn't
she acknowledge Diana's death? Why didn't she open up to her people
at the very least and offer condolences? Why wasn't she at the Buckingham
Palace? Why was she so indifferent and ignorant? After watching this
film, you realize that she wasn't ignorant or indifferent; she just
didn't want to display emotions and make the tragedy a public drama.
Is that a harsh way to be? No. It's dealing with death as a private
matter and it's a personal attitude that varies from human to human.
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As
a film, The Queen answers these questions. For the first time, one
understands the Queen. It's not simple to understand her but through
this film, one gets a glimpse of what it must be like to be in her
royal shoes. Without being dull or preachy, this film makes you see
the reasons why it took the Queen so long to address her nation and
the world
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This is a monumental film for many reasons. The most important, however,
is that it holds a mirror to the British people and asks them, what
do you want from your Queen? Do you want her to rule or do you want
the Monarchy abolished? Sadly, to this day, the British can't answer
that. But that's a different argument altogether.
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Another important premise of the film is that it makes the Queen question
her understanding of her people. It's fascinating, really. This film
tells you the power of media, even though it can be brutal. When the
top newspapers of the country come together with the same headlines,
it has an effect. The point of a newspaper is to generate debate and
Lady Diana's death did just that.
It tells you about the little executive power the monarchy really
holds. It tells you that when people from two schools of thought clash
– conservative (The Queen) and liberal (Lady Diana) –
there is only one winner and the one who lives isn't necessarily it.
It tells you that sacrifices have to be made even by the most powerful
of people, such as Queen Elizabeth II, who is, at least in theory,
the most powerful Head of State. Ultimately, The Queen says that times
are changing and even a dead person can play an important role in
bringing it about.
The commendable thing that writer Peter Morgan and director Stephen
Frears did is keeping the film as real as possible. As a result, most
of what we see in the lifestyle of The Queen is real. The characters
of Princes William and Harry are never shown. They remain in the sidelight,
with their back facing the camera. There is no sensationalism, just
a whole lot of true drama.
All cast members are exceptional in portraying their characters. Michael
Sheen as Tony Blair does a fine job, dealing with the world, compassionately
taking control and fighting for The Queen. But the film belongs to
Helen Mirren, from start to ending. Her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth
II is fantastic. The reticent woman ends up doing the very thing she
doesn't believe in and how magnificently she does it.
Helen Mirren gives the exact same speech as Queen Elizabeth II did
after Diana's demise and it breaks your heart. The way Helen as Queen
realizes the shift in culture that hits her with Diana's death is
subtle yet effective. Helen Mirren picked up a Golden Globe this year
for her performance. She should get the Oscar too. Bravo!
In the end, nothing takes away the grief that came with Diana's death.
But through this film, one learns how adapting is an integral part
of life and no man on this earth can do without, not even The Queen.
--Maheen Sabeeh *YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME
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