Stephen Frears spares no time peeling away the layers and cutting straight to the heart of his new movie, "The Queen." Frears, also the director of the Oscar-nominated "Mrs. Henderson Presents" (2005) and "Dirty Pretty Things" (2002), takes on the circumstances surrounding the English government and royal family immediately following the death of Princess Diana.
The movie's characters define much of what writer Peter Morgan tries to convey through his screenplay. The royal family of England, in "The Queen" at least, is true royalty in every sense of the word. However, unlike previous monarchs, they function purely as figureheads.
Throughout the film, the royal family spends its time posing for portraits, moving from castle to castle and hunting. As nobility, they enjoy the benefits of, well, nothing, and that's the thing about being a figurehead: There's not a lot to do, except to develop an obscene sense of self entitlement.
Frears uses the family as a foil against Tony Blair, the newly elected prime minister of England. Played by Michael Sheen from "Underworld" (2003), Blair comes to symbolize the modern, as opposed to the classical, direction England has headed in the years since Princess Diana's death.
The real beauty of the movie lies in the way Frears blends fact and fiction. Although he recreates the crash scene of Princess Diana's death, he uses real news footage throughout the movie to inject an element of reality into the film.
Throughout the movie, tensions run high between Queen Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) and Blair. The two are radically different, complete with conflicting ideas stemming from their contrasting parties and generations. Their differences become painfully clear after the death of Diana, and each person's individual reaction to the death is what defines the film.
Helen Mirren gives a stunning performance as the frigid sovereign Queen Elizabeth. However, it's the rest of the royal family who really steals the show. James Cromwell as Prince Philip is perfect as the befuddled Royal Consort, and Cromwell's interpretation of this particular figure embodies the idea of the royal family even more than Mirren's does.
After Diana's death, Philip is incredulous that Elizabeth has to do anything more than appear to the public. As an observer, it is easy to grow frustrated while watching the vastly privileged interact, revealing their complete lack of understanding of the modern world. Despite all their titles and money, it becomes clear that this family resides in a completely different universe. It's an existence dominated by money and prestige entailing few, if any, responsibilities.
The performance of the royal family creates the tension in the movie that carries it along. It's one thing to watch scene after scene of leisure and meaningless banter. The scenes following Diana's death highlight the bureaucratic nature of the throne.
Their various reactions to Princess Di's death drive this point home. The royal monarchy is so bound by rules and tradition they can't even conceive of displaying any human emotion. They can do little more than watch helplessly from their country home's TV sets.
To provide a different perspective, Blair and his cabinet immediately react in order to capitalize on the opportunity, making endless statements to the public. The film even features a recreation of a famous press conference that transforms Blair into a press darling, much to the dismay of Elizabeth.
The second half of the film centers solely on Elizabeth, as the remainder of the characters fade to the background. Somehow, it seems as if Frears is attempting to atone for his less-than-flattering treatment of the royal family with the final scenes.
Frears tries to end the movie by focusing on the Queen's half-hearted attempts to understand the world in which she now lives. It is difficult, however, to muster sympathy for a woman who believes her position in the world is a matter of divine right.
Although much of the second half lags, the movie functions well as a whole, holding up beautifully under the pressure of topics as sensitive as these. "The Queen" is a simple film, refreshingly stripped of the usual Hollywood trappings, and its superb ensemble cast allows it to capture the sorrow and intrigue of a significant event in modern British history.
