About.com Rating

The Bottom Line

Dame Helen Mirren delivers one of the best performances of her illustrious career in The Queen, a simply amazing look inside the life of the Royals. The Queen garnered six Academy Award nominations with Mirren earning a well-deserved Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of Queen Elizabeth.



Pros

• One of the best films of 2006
• Features incredible performances by the entire cast
• Timely and touching

Cons

• Below average assortment of bonus features

Description

• 'The Making of The Queen' - Director Stephen Frears and the cast discuss the story and getting into the characters
• Commentary by director Frears and writer Peter Morgan
• Commentary by British Historian Robert Lacey, author of Majesty
• DVD Release Date: April 24, 2007

Guide Review - The Queen DVD Review

Helen Mirren is Queen Elizabeth, Michael Sheen is Tony Blair, and James Cromwell plays Prince Philip in the extraordinary dramatic film, The Queen. Written by Oscar nominee Peter Morgan and directed by Stephen Frears (who also earned a nomination for helming the movie), The Queen probes the days immediately following the death of Princess Diana by casting the spotlight on Queen Elizabeth and the newly elected Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

Tony Blair is barely settled into his new role as Prime Minister when tragedy strikes. Princess Diana and her beau, Dodi Al Fayed, are killed as the Mercedes-Benz they were riding in crashed into a barrier while being pursued by paparazzi in a Paris tunnel.

The public reaction is fast and fierce, outpourings of grief are witnessed in every corner of the world, and Prime Minister Blair addressed the media and the world calling Princess Diana the "People's Princess".

Meanwhile the Royal Family adopts the opposite approach to the tragedy. Sticking with tradition, they mourn in private. Refusing to return from Balmoral to Buckingham Palace, Queen Elizabeth's approval rating takes a dive as the public and the media expect their Queen to acknowledge the tragic events.

The Queen brilliantly sheds light on how Princess Diana's death was handled by the old guard - Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip - and the new - Prime Minister Tony Blair.

The Bonus Features

'The Making Of' featurette is the standard fare, with the cast, director, and screenwriter providing insight into the film. Two commentary tracks are included and although director Stephen Frears and writer Peter Morgan are immensely talented men, they aren't the most dynamic speakers. The better of the two tracks is done by British Historian Robert Lacey who adds anecdotes about the real events, people, and physical settings.