(movie review)Despite the fact that a number of people recommended this film to me, I was reluctant to see it. Like most American males, I regarded stories about the royal family as tabloid fodder for idiots.
I ended up renting this movie because Shoko wanted to see it.
(Question: is it just my imagination, or are women more fascinated by the lives of royality than men? And if so, why is that?)
Anyway, this movie is, like everyone told me it would it would be, pretty interesting and well worth watching.
Of course I remain concerned that the Hollywood bi-opics are too focused on the lifestyles of the rich and famous (like the recent "Marie Antionette" movie) and excludes a number of more interesting or deserving figures.
But that doesn't necessarily mean that every movie that comes out about the royal family is absolute trash, and this movie is pretty interesting as it shows the various squabbles within the royal family. And, if we can watch hours and hours of squabbles between fictional families on TV sitcoms, how much more interesting are the arguments of a real family. And this is certainly much better than some of the usual trash I watch.
It also focuses heavily on Tony Blair and his relationship with the Queen. (Arguable the film is just as much about Tony Blair as it is about the Queen).
I definately learned a few things from it. For instance I didn't even know the Queen was married. I thought her husband was the old King of England, and then when he died she inherited the job from him. Instead it appears she inherited the job from her father, and has been married to Prince Philip for the past 60 years. Shows how much I know.
So, all in all, I wouldn't recommend you run out to the video store right this minute, but if you happen to brush across this movie during your usual wanderings, you could do a lot worse.
Link of the Day
Where Have All the Protests Gone?
The Queen: Movie Review (Scripted)
I rented this movie when my mother was over, since Her Royal Majesty (not my mother -- the Queen) was something of a cause celebre for me mum when she was just a little girl. I'm happy to report that my wife and my mother both fell asleep during this movie.
ReplyDeleteI saw it to the end, though, and boy did it bug me. Part of my reaction comes from being a citizen of the Commonwealth: it seems every couple of years we have to pony up unconscionable sums of money to host these guys. I'm of the impression they pay these visits out of duty, not pleasure, and so far as I'm concerned I'd rather give them the day off than fork over the millions to make the visit "official."
The second deficit I reacted to was the portrait of Sheri Blair as a loud-mouthed shrew. Most news reports paint her with the same colors, but in this movie she basically gives voice to my own opinion of the British royalty. Unfortunately she's clearly a loon and a reactionary who doesn't know her place.
Which leads me to the third deficit: the portrait of Tony Blair as a gormless, pussy-whipped niceguy who walks around 22 Downing St in his rugby shirt and apron, doing the dishes while Sheri ... what? Watches Coronation Street? I believe he was a fool to follow Bush into war with Iraq, but he is infinitely sharper than the film makes him out to be.
Well, first of all I agree with your political sentiment 100%. I'm not a commonwealth citizen so I guess it's none of my business, but I whenever I stop to think about it I think it's absolutely ridiculous that in this day and age, in the 21st century, there are still enlightened western countries that haven't gotten ride of their monarchs.
ReplyDeleteThat being said, I didn't think this film glorified the royal family. It made the queen and Duke Philip out to look like silly old fashioned bigots, and Prince Charles look very self-serving.
Although the personal journey by Blair from modernizer to royalist did seem to give the film a bit of a slant...