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The Queen

The Queen (2006)

tomatometer

97

Average Rating: 8.4/10
Reviews Counted: 184
Fresh: 178 | Rotten: 6

Full of wit, humor, and pathos, Stephen Frears' moving portrait of the British royals during the period after Princess Diana's death features not one but two remarkable performances, that of Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Sheen as the newly-ordained Prime Minister Tony Blair. They embody their characters and lay bare the motivations behind these prominent people, giving viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of the British monarchy.

100

Average Rating: 8.7/10
Critic Reviews: 42
Fresh: 42 | Rotten: 0

Full of wit, humor, and pathos, Stephen Frears' moving portrait of the British royals during the period after Princess Diana's death features not one but two remarkable performances, that of Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II and Michael Sheen as the newly-ordained Prime Minister Tony Blair. They embody their characters and lay bare the motivations behind these prominent people, giving viewers a glimpse into the inner workings of the British monarchy.

audience

74

liked it
Average Rating: 3.5/5
User Ratings: 164,683

My Rating

Movie Info

The British prime minister and the Royal Family find themselves quietly at odds in the wake of a national tragedy in this drama from director Stephen Frears. On August 31, 1997, Diana, Princess of Wales died in an auto accident in Paris; despite the controversial breakup of her marriage to Prince Charles, she was still one of the most famous and best-loved women in the world, and the public outpouring of emotion over her passing was immediate and intense. However, given the messy circumstances

PG-13, 1 hr. 41 min.

Drama

Peter Morgan

Apr 24, 2007

$56.2M

Miramax Films

Cast

All Critics (185) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (191) | Rotten (6) | DVD (34)

A lesser director might make all of this deadly earnest, but Frears treats it as what you might call a tragi-comedy of manners, perfectly serious but human foibles everywhere.

October 18, 2008 Full Review Source: NPR.org | Comment
NPR.org
Top Critic IconTop Critic

In good times and bad, for good or ill, she is the public face of her nation. Mirren, Frears and Morgan let us see just how much a burden that mask has been.

November 3, 2006 Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | Comment
Orlando Sentinel
Top Critic IconTop Critic

We see not only the inner corridors of power, but also sense the inner workings of the royal mind. Stephen Frears' deft direction also gives the film insight and even humor.

October 27, 2006 Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | Comment
Houston Chronicle
Top Critic IconTop Critic

That's Mirren's magic: She makes us care, no matter how shallow our curtsies.

October 26, 2006 Full Review Source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution | Comment
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Borne with grace and honor on the back of Helen Mirren's astounding title performance, The Queen manages to encompass the personal and political with both depth and grace.

October 20, 2006 Full Review Source: Detroit News | Comment
Detroit News
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Although Mirren transforms into a living human being as artfully as any actor I have ever seen in Stephen Frears' portrait of a woman and royalty under siege, the movie in which she performs this alchemy is every bit as good as she is.

October 20, 2006 Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | Comment
Detroit Free Press
Top Critic IconTop Critic

The Queen will knock your socks off.

February 9, 2011 Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | Comment

Stuffed with stinging truths about swiftly turning winds of public opinion, Stephen Frears' film is a tough, fair-minded and, at times, morbidly satirical depiction of the extraordinary circumstance of leading in grief as well as government.

September 17, 2010 Full Review Source: Suite101.com | Comment
Suite101.com

Trenchantly stages its climax around the passing of an era

August 28, 2009 Full Review Source: CinePassion | Comment
CinePassion

Surely to be considered at Oscar time.

April 29, 2009 Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | Comment
Cinema Crazed

A disappointingly claustrophobic play at sympathy for someone so out of touch with her 'subjects.' And why blow it up for the big screen? . . . Where's the arc? The tragic flaw? The ebbs and flows to her character? . . . A middle-of-the-pack chamber drama

October 9, 2008 Full Review Source: Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada) | Comment (1)
Vue Weekly (Edmonton, Canada)

Helen Mirren kicks it royal style in this acclaimed drama about the most misunderstood HRH of all.

August 28, 2008 Full Review Source: ReelzChannel.com | Comment

Director Stephen Frears' The Queen offers an incisive and utterly persuasive glimpse behind the scenes of recent history.

August 7, 2008 Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | Comment
Sacramento News & Review

Death of Diana causes crisis for British royals.

July 10, 2008 Full Review Source: Common Sense Media | Comment
Common Sense Media

Whatever the Sex Pistols say, she is a human being.

May 12, 2008 Full Review Source: Style Weekly (Richmond, VA) | Comment

The Queen is an unqualified triumph that works on all levels.

February 28, 2008 Full Review Source: BrandonFibbs.com | Comment
BrandonFibbs.com

Like the Queen, Mirren is saying: This is how you act, this is how you survive, this is how you reign.

September 22, 2007 Full Review Source: eFilmCritic.com | Comment
eFilmCritic.com

I was to this film. It's slow and plodding throughout, yet the format Frears brings to the table is gripping in its balance.

August 13, 2007 Full Review Source: Calgary Movies | Comment
Calgary Movies

...a compelling drama that effectively humanizes the title character...

August 4, 2007 Full Review Source: Reel Film Reviews | Comment
Reel Film Reviews

An intelligent script that keeps in the spirit and tone of Britain's House of Mountbatten-Windsor, and yet slyly manages a wink at the audience every now and then.

July 28, 2007 Comment
Reel.com

I never thought I'd get choked up over a movie about the stuffy upper-crust of the British monarchy, but then along came The Queen.

July 14, 2007 Full Review Source: Big Picture Big Sound | Comment
Big Picture Big Sound

Buena Vista's transfer renders the intended looks faithfully.

July 10, 2007 Full Review Source: DVD Review | Comment
DVD Review

... beneath the simple and straightforward facade lies a hidden depth that does not announce itself with dramatic intensity ...

July 10, 2007 Full Review Source: DVD Review | Comment
DVD Review

britanski film u najpozitivnijem smislu rije%u010Di

June 22, 2007 Full Review Source: Index.hr | Comment
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Queen

Incredible performance by Mirren with a great supporting cast and fantastic script. Full review later

July 31, 2009
TomBowler
Thomas Bowler

Super Reviewer

A wonderful and touching film that breaks boundaries of acting. The plot is based on real life events and I think it was really interesting and had a very deep film that can really relate to understand the quueens life. The acting is the best part, and Helen Mirren is doing one of the greatest performances in film

February 26, 2011
DreamExtractor
Brad Wright

Super Reviewer

    1. Portrait artist: We're in danger of losing too much that is good about this country, as it is.
    – Submitted by Raj G (3 months ago)
    1. Queen Mother: Do you think any of your predecessors would have dropped everything and gone up to London because a bunch of hysterics carrying candles, needed help with their grief?
    – Submitted by Raj G (3 months ago)
    1. The Queen: A good walk and fresh air sorts everything out.
    – Submitted by Raj G (3 months ago)
    1. Prince Philip: [to the Queen] Come on! Move over cabbage!
    – Submitted by Raj G (3 months ago)
    1. Alastair Campbell: Well, at least the old bat's finally agreed to visit Diana's coffin.
    – Submitted by Raj G (3 months ago)

Latest News for The Queen

January 20, 2009:
RT Interview: Michael Sheen on Frost/Nixon
Michael Sheen has made a name for himself playing real-life characters, from Tony Blair in The Deal...

October 25, 2007:
Hollywood Braces for Writers' Strike
We're just a few days away from the Writers Guild strike deadline, and things aren't looking good.

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Foreign Titles

  • Die Queen (DE)
  • La reina (ES)
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