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.
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10/27/06
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The Queen (2006)
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Reviews Counted:38
Fresh:38
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.6/10
Consensus: 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.
Runtime: 1 hr 43 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Oct 6, 2006 Limited
Box Office: $56,222,759
Synopsis: Helen Mirren delivers a royally stirring performance as Queen Elizabeth II in Stephen Frears's fictional romp, THE QUEEN. The year is 1997, and Great Britain has a newly elected prime minister, the... [More]
Starring: Helen Mirren, Michael Sheen, James Cromwell, Sylvia Syms
Director: Stephen Frears
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Reviews for The Queen
Top CriticThat's Mirren's magic: She makes us care, no matter how shallow our curtsies.
10/26/06
Top CriticBorne 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.
10/20/06
Top CriticAlthough 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.
10/20/06
Top CriticFrears has given us a front-row seat for a backstage drama; the result is provocatively realistic.
10/20/06
Top CriticThis imperial mix of wit, humor and compassion manages to humanize at once the prickly worlds of royalty, politics and popular culture.
10/20/06
Top CriticSmartly relevant and affecting, commenting not only on the isolation of the monarchy but also on a tabloid culture run wild.
10/19/06
Top CriticFrears masterfully combines archival news footage with stellar performances from an outstanding cast, led by Mirren in a title role that demands Oscar glory.
10/13/06
Top CriticAn absolute delight, combining the cheap thrills of a biopic with the gentler, but more lasting, pleasures of a brilliant character study.
10/13/06
Top CriticSucceeding where most docudramas fail, it turns a slice of recent history into a revealingly intelligent entertainment, without being didactic at one extreme or sentimental at the other.
10/13/06
Top CriticTold in quiet scenes of proper behavior and guarded speech, The Queen is a spellbinding story of opposed passions.
10/13/06
Top CriticHelen Mirren takes a character that most of the world sees as insular and stalwart -- Britain's reigning Queen Elizabeth -- and turns her into a real-life human being with flaws and foibles.
10/12/06
Top CriticIt's a buoyant mixture of deft, lightly impudent high comedy and human-scaled drama.
10/12/06
Top CriticThe Queen is not difficult, [but] it is sufficiently and, yes, marvelously artistic...
10/11/06
Top CriticAn immensely entertaining and seemingly acute chronicle of the week Diana died.
10/06/06
Top CriticBrilliant as Morgan's script is, it is Helen Mirren's diamond-hard performance that is the jewel of The Queen's crown.
10/06/06
Top CriticA subtle, often very funny, ultimately touching tragedy of royal manners and meaning.
10/06/06
Top CriticMirren's finely calibrated performance reveals a complex woman coping with a bewildering world, and Blair's growing sympathy for his beleaguered monarch gradually becomes ours.
10/05/06
Top CriticA fascinating character study and a brilliantly crafted drama. It has some of the wittiest writing in recent memory and spot-on performances.
10/05/06
Top CriticMirren and Sheen present gracious, humane portraits of two people whose conviction over their place in the world is shaken by unprecedented circumstance.
10/05/06
Top CriticLatest 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 and The Queen, to Kenneth Williams in Fantabulosa!. This week sees the... More...
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. More...
October 02, 2007:
Peter Morgan Preps Sequel to The Queen
Peter Morgan has taken his "Blair trilogy" from The Deal to The Queen -- and now, Variety reports, he's preparing the third installment. More...
September 11, 2007:
Toronto Film Fest: Ang Lee's Lust, Caution Reviewed
Among the higher profile entries in Toronto, Ang Lee's Lust, Caution had a particular notoriety coming in; not only were fest-watchers waiting to confirm or contradict the early... More...
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