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They're all saying it, and it's true: The Queen is great. Went to see it at Reigate Screen this evening with what can only be described as Queen fans. These were elderly ladies who, after the film, were excitedly discussing the pearls worn by Helen Mirren's monarch and the veracity thereof. I am not a Queen fan, but you don't need to be to enjoy Stephen Frears' film, which, if it wasn't made for TV, still kind of is. It was odd seeing it at the cinema, but worthwhile. It's not especially cinematic, but it's quite impressive seeing news archive clips blown up on a big screen. Written by Peter Morgan, who wrote The Deal (about the Blair-Brown pact at Granita), and again starring the uncommonly talented Michael Sheen as the pixie-like PM, this took place over the week after Diana's death. It's been pointed out elsewhere that Diana dominates the film like a ghost, and as much as a dramatised study of the relationship between the Queen and the Prime Minister, it's also a snapshot of the nation going mad in September 1997 - a collective madness from which I don't believe we've ever recovered.
This is a film about people watching telly, whether it's the Royals in Buckingham Palace or Balmoral, or the staff of Number 10, they're all fixated on the telly - just as we all were that week. It's the government living through the media, another telling point. If anyone thought the 90s weren't worth dramatising, they reckoned without the death of Diana. It's a serious piece, ultimately, but Morgan and Frears manage the comedy with aplomb. The cast are uniformly terrific - Mirren is so convincing you will forget it's her, James Cromwell is a great Prince Phillip (again, never resorting to Spitting Image buffoonery, but he does get this great line about the guest list at Diana's funeral: "It's all soap stars and homosexuals!"), Roger Allam is all deference and wisdom as Sir Robin Janvrin, Alex Jennings has perfect poise as Prince Charles, and Sylvia Sims is the Queen Mum.
It's strange that we will sit for 97 minutes and watch a drama about a queen having a PR disaster, because that's all it is, but then this is England, and it's as English as Volver is Spanish. It's not a republican film, but even though it takes us back to Blair's honeymoon period (how long ago it seems), Morgan saves up a warning for him at the end.
Oh, and because it's a 12A, Alistair Campbell says "Flippin' heck", which is the only wrong note in the film.
posted by Andrew Collins @ 2:19 PM
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8 Comments:
Sounds great! And you're right, that era was all about watching tv as a nation. Which is appropriate, as I've just finished watching 'How do you solve a problems like maria' on bbc1 - not quite in the same league, and yes, rather sad I know. But there's something about sharing those tv moments live with the rest of the country - watching someone's dream come true, or sharing collective grief - that means something. Maybe we just used to share some things with our neighbours, but now we're all cut off and distant, so technology links us instead.
I was meant to be jumping out of aeroplane the morning Diana's death was announced. Spent the whole day in a cold hut on an airfield, staring at the screen and waiting for the weather to change.
I know I'm a freak, but I've never cared about the sainted Diana and I still don't understand the collective hysteria about her death. After a brief attempt to listen to the radio that day, I switched all media off and read a book to escape.
Admitting this is akin to saying you like watching baby seals being clubbed though, so I'll go away now.
lizzie... it's ok. you're not alone. 'twas all a bit too much for me.
I'm sure that prior to Diana's death people did not routinely go on "emotional journeys" on the telly and as they'd say in "1066 and all that," that was A Good Thing.
thanks, Peter in Dublin, good to know I'm not alone.
No, you two aren't alone but at least you were able to opt-out of the day.
At the time I was in Hospital recovering from a fairly serious illness. We were woken up at about 6.30 on the day of the funeral by a TV being wheeled into the ward so we could all watch as the day unfolded. The irony of a funeral being broadcast to a room of people who were close or had been recently close to death seem to be lost on the Doctors, Nurses and Patients.
When my wife arrived about 3 in the afternoon to visit we excused ourselves and sat in the day-room that the TV had been removed from.
Collective madness seems about right to me.
Ian
PS This is not a criticism of the care I received in the hospital, which was first class.
When I was told the news of "her" I was surprised that anyone thought I might care. The biggest shock of the week that followed was the number of people that appeared to care. To this day I haven't found anyone that can tell me why I should have cared. The only way she ever touched my life wasthat we got the day off work for the wedding... but what was the point - all the shops were shut and the golf course was fully booked.
You don't need to care about Diana's death to enjoy the movie. I also found the whole thing bewilderingly strange at the time, I remenber walking around Exmouth where I was visiting my girlfriend and feeling like I'd walked into the Day of the Triffids, deserted streets, corner shops shut. walked into a pub which was empty except for the barman gazing at Sky News on the pub tv like a zombie. That's when I noticed the story. Wierd shit!
Anyway you don't have to have put up a grainy Diana poster from The Sun in your window to enjoy The Queen, the film plays the public reaction as a unique and bizarre event.
I recommend it.
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