THE QUEEN is a fine little movie

[abcdefz]

...I usually like Frears' stuff, and this was no exception.

-- it's in really limitied release in the States -- I'm assuming England got this long ago -- but it's worth checking out. Helen Mirren's getting lots of press about how great she is, and there's a reason; she does "restraint" with great restraint: she seems less "ice cold" than she does kind of proper and mannered.

James Cromwell's in it, too -- not a big part, and he doesn't get to say "That'll do, Pig" to anyone, but he's always gold.


It's basically the week + days of the aftermath of Lady Di's death, and how the royals and the new Prime Minister and their minions reacted and dealt with it and such.

Anyone else seen this? I'm wondering what the effect of the movie is on the British which is probably lost on a Yank.

[TAL]

How little is it?

[abcdefz]

How little is it?


They let me look at it. Each frame is, oh... yay by yay. But there's a bunch of 'em. But it's still little. You can fit the whole thing in three cans, max.

[Planetary]

nah it's not out yet i don't think.

[abcdefz]

nah it's not out yet i don't think.


(!)


Really? I figured you guys would've already digested it.

Frears fan? His other stuff includes The Grifters, The Snapper, High Fidelity, My Beautiful Laundrette...

Stephen Frears, I think. Might be "Steven."

[QueenAdrock]

At first I got excited from the title and then I had to stop reading once I found out it wasn't about me. Tease. :mad:

[Documad]

I thought it was great. I have long adored Helen Mirren and I completely forgot it was her. At first, I thought I would be distracted that Charles and Tony Blair didn't look right, but they soon grew on me and I was engrossed in the story. I thought the director did a lovely job of mixing in the news footage and handling the accident and all that. I am often taken out of the movie when news footage is added.

I always disliked Diana and all the press attention she begged for. I was the only female over 5 who didn't watch the wedding. I thought that the media went way overboard after her death. I can't understand why people care more about the death of a celebrity than the welfare of real people in their neighborhood. So anyhow, I was ready to see a sympathetic portrayal of the Queen. By the time the funeral scene began and they showed the footage of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, et al filing in, I was so angry! I had forgotten about all the guests -- what did they ever have to do with Diana? Did the people of Britian take comfort in the presence of Tom Hanks? I mean, we often send foreign dignitaries and I know that people took offense when the president didn't go to Churchill's funeral but Tom Hanks?

I have a question. There's a scene where the Queen looks at the flowers outside the palace and sees the nasty notes left by people who blamed the royals. Were there horrid notes like that when Diana's sons went out to look at the flowers?

[abcdefz]

I thought it was great. I have long adored Helen Mirren and I completely forgot it was her. At first, I thought I would be distracted that Charles and Tony Blair didn't look right, but they soon grew on me and I was engrossed in the story. I thought the director did a lovely job of mixing in the news footage and handling the accident and all that. I am often taken out of the movie when news footage is added.

I always disliked Diana and all the press attention she begged for. I was the only female over 5 who didn't watch the wedding. I thought that the media went way overboard after her death. I can't understand why people care more about the death of a celebrity than the welfare of real people in their neighborhood. So anyhow, I was ready to see a sympathetic portrayal of the Queen. By the time the funeral scene began and they showed the footage of Steven Spielberg, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise, et al filing in, I was so angry! I had forgotten about all the guests -- what did they ever have to do with Diana? Did the people of Britian take comfort in the presence of Tom Hanks? I mean, we often send foreign dignitaries and I know that people took offense when the president didn't go to Churchill's funeral but Tom Hanks?




...I'm right with you on all this stuff. She seemed like a pretty well-meaning little-cultured child, to me, which was probably her appeal. The People's Barbie -- not even pretty enough to be threatening.



I have a question. There's a scene where the Queen looks at the flowers outside the palace and sees the nasty notes left by people who blamed the royals. Were there horrid notes like that when Diana's sons went out to look at the flowers?


Don't know. That was a great scene, though.

I think a lot of celebreties went because it was sort of the funeral-gesture equivalent of wearing a Breast Cancer Ribbon or something. Like, if you didn't support Diana, you were FOR famine or something.

[venusvenus123]

yes, it's out here but i haven't managed to see it yet.

my parents and sister thought it was fantastic. that's about all i can tell you!

[na§tee]

i love it how i can see a movie and know that a-z woulda made a thread about it at some stage :cool: it's great because i can just bump the bitchez and share my thoughts.

so i watched this on my ownsome tonight. you're right, it's a great little movie!

i think everything that can be said about helen mirren's performance has already been said. outstanding. she has a great quality in the stillness of her face when she isn't even 'doing' something.. she is still acting.

michael sheen as tony blair is fantastic! i couldn't stop thinking about him in the league of gentlemen whenever i saw him though, hahah. he's done tony blair before on a tv thing we had here too. he really has it spot-on.

also, the guy who played alastair campbell was great. made me lol. what a puppet master he was. true fact: his brother is head of security at the library i work in and he visited him one day! i looked up from the lending desk and there he was, smiling at me. i was like OMG HIIIIIIIII. this was in the middle of the whole david kelly isht, too. er.. anyway, back to the film. yes, it was good. it's late, i can't really elaborate!

it was weird, that time when princess diana died. people weeping in the streets and all this bullshit. and people actually liked the government (!!!). how times have changed. cherie blair still has a massive wobbly head though. hah. the actress did that well, too :cool:

[abcdefz]

(y)


I loved the outdoors scenes, too. When she's at her retreat, driving, killing the car, spotting the deer... all that stuff. It was really illuminating to see that.

[ms.peachy]

Hmm. Well. My opinion might be less than popular, but I didn't think it was a sgreat as everyone else seems to. Was it good? Yes, definitely. Was Helen Mirren excellent? Absolutely. But I thought that it had some weaknesses. For example: the portrayals of the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, and Cherie Blair I think all veered dangerously into the territory of caricature, esp Charles.

[QueenAdrock]

I think a lot of celebreties went because it was sort of the funeral-gesture equivalent of wearing a Breast Cancer Ribbon or something. Like, if you didn't support Diana, you were FOR famine or something.

First I'm teased by the title. Then as I'm skimming the pages I'm teased by this.

From now on, the words "Diana" "Queen" "QA" or any other offshoots of my name are prohibited.

[abcdefz]

In other news: I had a Q&A with the goddess Diana at the Dairy Queen yesterday.

[hpdrifter]

I am looking forward to watching this movie. The clips I've seen of it have really intrigued me.

[ms.peachy]

Wasn't Diana the goddess of the hunt?

[abcdefz]

Think so. I know she was an archer.

[abcdefz]

I am looking forward to watching this movie. The clips I've seen of it have really intrigued me.


It's really nifty. It's just small, but polished. I think that makes some people think it's less than it is, in a way. It's kind of like a miniature; it's intimate. In some ways, it might've been the best movie last year. But it got all this acclaim and I think people thought that meant it would be bigger than it is.

[paul jones]

all them royals are lizard people.David Icke told me

[JobDDT]

The Queen?

Who stars in this movie, Clay Aiken?

[QueenAdrock]

Wasn't Diana the goddess of the hunt?

Goddess of the hunt and also Goddess of the moon.

SCREW YOU A-Z. :mad:

[Schmeltz]

I saw this movie on the plane from Denver to Tampa a month ago. I thought it was really good - I only dimly remembered the events of that summer and they movie does a killer job of putting the viewer right in the middle of it all, like it's still happening, and appreciating the reactions of everyone involved - Blair, the public, and of course the Queen. Until I saw this movie I actually hadn't even realized that Blair was the PM at the time - no wonder, since this was basically the first thing that happened following his election.

Good show.

[abcdefz]

Goddess of the hunt and also Goddess of the moon.

SCREW YOU A-Z. :mad:



Much anger there is in this one.

[abcdefz]

I saw this movie on the plane from Denver to Tampa a month ago. I thought it was really good - I only dimly remembered the events of that summer and they movie does a killer job of putting the viewer right in the middle of it all, like it's still happening, and appreciating the reactions of everyone involved - Blair, the public, and of course the Queen. Until I saw this movie I actually hadn't even realized that Blair was the PM at the time - no wonder, since this was basically the first thing that happened following his election.

Good show.



Did you get the in-flight version with all references to God cut out?

Some dope who was in charge of editing out all the swear words decided that "God" was a cuss word an took all of them out.

You know. As in "God save the Queen."

[Schmeltz]

Hmm, no I don't believe so. Are there Orthodox Jews running the FCC now or something?

[abcdefz]

I think someone was being overly cautious. G-D only knows.