Stephen Frears' ""The Queen"" centers around one of the most dramatic events in recent history: the media-fueled death of the much beloved Princess Diana, and the monarchy's indifferent reaction. Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren—who, although you've heard it ad nauseam already, will win Best Actress with ease) and Prince Philip (a hilarious James Cromwell) in particular did not harbor much affection for Princess Diana, whose public admiration always far exceeded theirs. The event thrusts newly appointed Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen, who looks a lot like Blair and a little like Mike White) into a delicate situation, as he must work to dissuade the royals from keeping the funeral service private. The family, especially the Queen, does not see why long-standing tradition should be breached for Diana, who was not technically a member of the monarchy after her divorce from Prince Charles. This entire affair has understated but potentially devastating consequences for the royals, who start to explicitly see how far removed they've become from their subjects.
The exceedingly popular Blair, meanwhile, represents the forces of modern democracy encroaching upon the monarchy's outdated reign. His measured interactions with the Queen, who regards him with hesitation and a constant whiff of condescension, are central to the appeal of the film. Watch how these two study each other in their first meeting, closely scrutinizing and then cleverly, strategically choosing which words to use.
As the film progresses, Blair begins to respect and understand the oft-maligned Queen, and by extension, so do we. This is not a movie that beats us over the head about the myriad ways in which the monarchy is increasingly obsolete; it's more concerned with exploring the gray areas of Queen Elizabeth's character. The Queen is not the cold, uncaring snob many accuse her of being, although it can be hard to see beneath the barrier of propriety that often encapsulates her like (as Ron Burgundy would say) a glass case of emotion. Ironically, the film's only outright blunder involves the Queen's sudden outpouring of emotion in the English countryside after seeing a beautiful buck that she knows will be imminently turned into venison by Philip and his hunting grandkids. The comparisons to Diana are not as restrained as Frears and screenwriter Peter Morgan think.
Mirren is superb here, transforming wholly into the Queen in what is arguably the best performance of her versatile career. She is irrefutably fantastic and deserving of the massive praise she's been receiving. Some of that praise needs to be directed toward Michael Sheen, whose performance as Blair is nearly as masterful, and he would be a very solid nominee for Best Supporting Actor. The rest of the cast should be proud of their excellent work here too.
But when it comes down to it, ""The Queen"" is overrated. It's a complex, intriguing look at the monarchy's role in contemporary politics, told as a wryly witty chamber drama and enlightening character analysis, but sometimes it tends to lull when it should pick up. It will win Mirren her Oscar and make critics gush all over themselves, but aside from the brilliant scenes between Blair and the Queen, it doesn't have the lasting impact or power of a true classic. Frears has made much better movies before—""Dirty Pretty Things"" and ""The Grifters"" immediately come to mind—but this is still a focused, sturdy piece of work worthy of your attention.
