By Jennifer Merin

The Queen

Directed by Stephen Frears

When Lady Diana Spencer died in a disastrous car collision in Paris in August of 1997, mourning people around the globe wanted to honor the former Princess of Wales with a public, state funeral. But Buckingham Palace, no longer considering Diana a royal, wanted the funeral held privately, away from the limelight that had followed her—and her troubled affairs—from the time she’d become Her Royal Highness until her untimely death.

Queen Elizabeth’s initial refusal to recognize Diana’s importance to the British public seriously undermined the authority of the monarchy. At one point, one in four Brits thought the royals—and their privileges—should go.

The Queen gives us a penetrating behind-the-scenes look at how Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) and the royal family handled the situation and, following the advice of newly elected Labor Party Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), dealt with and survived the crisis. 

Making a biopic about a still-reigning monarch is tricky business—all the more so when the movie focuses on such well-known events. Issues about protocol, access and accuracy as well as a legitimate concern about exploitation and scandal mongering—beyond a gossip-hungry press—were all constantly scrutinized.

But nevermind all that. From its first to last minute, The Queen consistently serves its constituents with honesty, insight and carefully researched detail. By seamlessly mixing staged scenes with archival news footage and specially created “archival” footage, director Stephen Frears convincingly presents the events and captures the emotion-filled ambience of that historic moment. Frears’ approach is unfailingly sensitive, subtle and compelling, and Peter Morgan’s brilliant script is rich with wit and poignancy. Using the ongoing metaphor of a stalked stag, Morgan reveals the Her Royal Majesty’s monarchic angst in a most remarkably moving way.

The entire cast gives stellar performances, especially James Cromwell as Prince Philip, Sylvia Syms as the Queen Mum, Michael Sheen as Blair and Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair. But all hail Dame Helen Mirren, the reigning Queen of Cinema! Watching her is like having a private audience with royalty; you’ll never royal-watch the same way again. She portrays Elizabeth II as an exceptionally strong woman who struggles painfully and privately to uphold the burdensome vow she’s taken to spend her entire life serving her people. After her Emmy award-winning portrayal of Elizabeth I earlier this year, Mirren is clearly now ready for some Oscar attention. Crown her and be done with it.