With just one week left until the Royal Wedding I'm in a very British mood and feel like watching one of my favourite films again this weekend - 2006's The Queen, starring Dame Helen Mirren (as HRM Elizabeth II) and Michael Sheen (as Prime Minister Tony Blair). Directed by Stephen Frears, this film was nominated for 6 Oscars and it went on to win Helen Mirren an Oscar for Best Actress. Extremely well deserved, I thought, but I do believe Michael Sheen should at least have received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor as well, his performance in this film is outstanding.
This is "the untold story of a very private woman". It's about how Queen Elizabeth II, her family and newly elected Prime Minister Tony Blair cope with the sudden death of Princess Diana. While the film is, of course, about Diana, not much is actually seen of her except for some genuine archive news footage. Although fictional, this film gives a very interesting idea of what possibly went on behind the closed doors of Balmoral Castle and Buckingham Palace during this time. It's intimate, sensitive, and absolutely fascinating.
Click here to see a video of Helen Mirren winning the Oscar in 2007 (and looking absolutely STUNNING!) and check out the trailer for "The Queen" below..
credit: allmoviephoto