The Queen

Stunning. Stephen Frears always brings a humanity to his films that is seldom matched by other filmmakers. See Dirty Pretty Things to experience one of his many examples of this. The story of Queen Elizabeth II and Tony Blair in the wake of Diana’s death is told here and Frears has crafted a lovely drama. No one is stereotyped or squeezed into a simple little package for the movie goers to digest. We are shown people we think we know via the media, and slowly see that we don’t have a clue as to what their daily lives and more importantly what their emotional inner lives are like. Frears successfully combines actual footage from the period with film of his actors. It works seamlessly and I felt immersed in this world. It is rather striking to see this film and Marie Antoinette so close together. In both films geography plays a huge role. It serves as a barrier to reality. Luckily for the more modern monarch she had access to a phone and people who cared enough to tell her the true feelings of the Street. The dramatic conflict hinges on her ability to listen and learn.
Favorite moment: The Queen stranded in the forest with a much needed moment to herself.
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