"The Queen" is a look into how the royal family handled the death of Princess Diana in late August of 1997, which coincided with the arrival of then-new prime minister Tony Blair doing his best to coax some public relations gestures from the royal family (treated Diana's death as a private matter from the onset) in the wake of such a tragic event for fans of Diana worldwide in order to preserve/sustain public opinion the monarchy in a non-negative light.
Initially, I wasn't all that into Helen Mirren's performance as Queen Elizabeth in "The Queen" as my expectations were high from all the accolodes she's been receiving in awards season currently, but something just clicks in the 2nd act of the film where Mirren is not simply playing a part, but inhabits it with grace and uncertainty in a world where instaneous access to images and events from around the world can be had with a flip of a channel or a click of a mouse (plus an unrelenting press doesn't help matters), and traditions of old need more nuanced management of public perception than previously required. Needless to say, Mirren's performance is worth all the kudos she's been given of late. Michael Sheen as Tony Blair, is also up to the challenge, his Blair is able to see the larger perspective from the monarchy's view while also balancing the appropriate response from the government.
I give it 3.5 stars, or a grade of B+.
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