Helen Mirren plays Queen Elizabeth, who after the election of Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) faces harsh criticism because of the royal family’s reaction to the death of Diana. A balanced affair, The Queen doesn’t point fingers or attempt to make vast political statements, but instead is a character study about how characters with extreme influence deal with a national tragedy. Mirren is astounding, though Sheen holds his own as a sympathetic, grinning version of the Prime Minister. Stephen Frears direction is restrained, keeping the focus on the constant confrontations by the heavyweights and their handlers.
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