HRH "The Queen"

Breaking from tradition this week (something HRH knows all about... ...Tradition I mean, not necessarily breaking from it...) Anyway, TA and I went to the Picturehouse to see "The Queen," but this time - it was a MONDAY!

Also it was quite a cheap trip as I used my complimentary tickets that I got as a result of the Ghostbuster's film reel, wrong order fiasco. TA has yet to receive any iota of compensation for her visual discomfort during that particular performance, but hey ho.



Now the film started at 18:30, so I left work at 15:30 (I am NOT a part-timer as EVERYONE keeps telling me!) and arrived at the cinema (having parked in the dreaded car park,) at about 18:05 to get the tickets all sorted, but TA was on 6 o'clock cover, so had to get in from work. Which was great, except she missed the bus by 60 seconds, so had to wait a while before getting the park and ride, and then root marched herself through the centre of Exeter to get to the cinema for 18:35 - not a problem, one medium coke and a small sweet popcorn later - we were ensconced! (Oh, but I put the popcorn on my lap and then took my coat off (boy's really CAN'T multitask - and needless to say, it fell over - oops!)

The film itself was very well done, and starts with the election of The Right Honourable *Cough* Tony Blair MP as Prime Minister, and his first meeting with the Queen, where he asks her if he can become Prime Minister, only to be told that she in fact does the asking! The film then charts the ups and downs of the week following the death of Princess Diana, and her funeral.

From the dreadful crash in Paris, we follow the Queen from the moment she is told of the news, through her determination to have a private funeral, as was the wish of the Spencer family. She toils with the growing problem of an anxious public, keen for the royals to have a physical presence, and to show a greater respect for the late Princess. Resisting all attempts to get her to return to London, and fly the flag at half-mast, and bolstered by her mother, she somewhat foolishly sticks to her guns. It is only when the situation is critical and Tony Blair and the tabloid press inform her of the dissatisfaction among her peoples, that she relents, and returns to London to give a live statement to her loyal subjects, paying tribute to Diana.

Two months after the princess’ death, Blair attends his weekly audience with the Queen, where she professes that although the monarchy’s popularity has recovered, that she will never quite recover from “that week,” whilst also informing Mr Blair, that he too will experience the swift change in public opinion!



It was brilliantly done, with just the right amount of humour and stereotypes at the start (Prince Philip can't be done in any other way!), before the film became a little more serious, but with smatterings of real footage from the Book of condolence queues and the millions of bouquets outside Buckingham Palace, it made some people sniffle. Helen Mirren was brilliant as the Queen, and she certainly deserves the Oscar for the Best Female lead.