The Royal Treatment

I finally saw The Queen last night, and all I can say – all I will say at this moment – is I found the film to be quite stunning.

It is a fascinating and fictional account of the real events that followed following the death of Princess Diana in 1997, and it is easily one of the best-told stories I have seen so far this year.

From the tightly contained, tradition-bound world of the Queen of England through the clashes with the slick modernity of the country's brand new, image-conscious Prime Minister, Tony Blair, The Queen is a revealing and witty portrait of the British royal family in crisis.

Alright, the moment to gush may have past, but the sentiment remains, for director Stephen Frears’ intriguing take on modern British monarchy is marked by subtlety and poignancy and a surprisingly even-handed approach to all its subjects, which only makes it all the more impressive.

It is stunning, I tell ya – stunning – and such a treat, really.

The film is an intimate, yet thematically epic battle of the first order – thanks, in no small measure to the gorgeous screenplay by Peter Morgan – between private and public, responsibility and emotion, and custom and action, as a grieving nation waits to see what its leaders will do.

Helen Mirren, as Queen Elizabeth II, is magnificent – the actress imbues her performance with the poise that the role requires at first glance, and with the humanity that it needs to be a well-achieved character study – while Michael Sheen is equally fantastic in an accomplished turn as Blair.

Stunning, in one word.

My Rating ****

Photo: Miramax Films.