Queen, The (2006) [Blu-ray]
Biography | Drama

Dame Helen Mirren triumphs in her Academy Award®-winning role as The Queen - now more majestic and spellbinding than ever before on Blu-ray Disc®. Suspenseful, heartfelt and riveting, this "brilliantly crafted drama" (US Today) reigns supreme in this breathtaking format. In the wake of one of the most public tragedies of our time - the sudden death of Princess Diana - the very private and tradition-bound Queen Elizabeth II finds herself in conflict with the slickly modern and image-conscious Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Peer inside the private chambers of the Royal Family and the British government as you watch the spectacle unfold in resplendent visual clarity. Hang on every word as a nation mourns its "People's Princess" in spectacularly enhanced audio. Savor The Queen as if for the very first time in Blu-ray High Definition.

User Comment: marcosaguado from Los Angeles, USA, 10 September 2006 • Let's start by saying that the film itself is a perfect reflection of the days we live in. A deep human drama with a tabloid sensibility. A tradition that's lasted over a thousand years shaken by a world who demands public spectacle. Humbleness or humiliation? Asks Queen Elizabeth to her Prime Minister. Talk Show audiences wouldn't know the difference and we are all, one way or another, talk show audiences. From Jerry Springer to Oprah Winfrey. How did it really feel like? We all want to know, we all want to see the sorrow, the confession or the denial on the catch of the day's face. Michael Sheen is a adorable, yes I think adorable is the right word, as Tony Blair, the labor link between the people and the monarchy. Helen McCrory as Mrs Blair is another standout. Just look at her walking backwards trying to to be true to royal protocol. I had to adjust to the fact that the Queen Mother was played by Sylvia Syms. Sylvia Syms! Queen Mom, a wonderful old battleship who's seen it all and fought her entire life for things to change so they could stay the same. It is however Helen Mirren, in a performance that could only be described as miraculous, that takes us body and soul through the painful ordeal of those seven days surrounding the death of Princess Diana, the "people's princess" a natural master in a world of tabloids and self humiliation disguised as humbleness. Helen Mirren gives us more than a glimpse into the hermetic heart of a living queen. Not a single false note, not a single cheap shot. A performance that is as poignant as it is entertaining. I was as besotted with Helen's Queen as her Labor Prime Minister was. I can't wait to meet her again.

Summary: Helen The Great.

User Comment: ccrivelli2005 from Rome, Italy, 10 September 2006 • I saw her Elizabeth I not so long ago and I was bowled over by her fearlessness, I was moved, transported, amused. Now, Elizabeth II, the living Queen. Helen Mirren accomplishes the impossible. She lets us know the Queen, her Queen, without passing judgment. Just being her. I found myself understanding her dilemma in human terms. Something that she had done so brilliantly with Elizabeth I, she humanized her or rather she allows us to find the human creature behind the iconic façade. The difficulty of not falling into a caricature or a simple impersonation may have seemed insurmountable but here she is. Perfect, real, extraordinary. Long Live Helen Mirren!

Summary: Long Live Helen Mirren.

[CSW] -4- After Princess Diana's shocking death, Queen Elizabeth II and Tony Blair engage in intimate talks as Britain demands the princess be memorialized in a manner beyond standard protocol. I wasn't aware of quite a few facts concerning normal protocol after Princess Diana's death so this was both entertaining and enlightening with an excellent performance by all, but especially by the Oscar winning performance of Helen Mirren as the Queen. This should be seen at least once by anyone even remotely interested in the royal family, which should include everyone.
[V4.0-A3.0] VC-1

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