Tuesday, April 27, 2010
FREARS
I am watching all the Stephen Frears' films. There are 12.
Today was
which focuses on the period of time just after Prince Charles' Diana's death and the final ceremonies of her funeral.
It is a crisis in the relationship between the Queen and the people with Tony Blair in between.
The film is a clear Netflix5 for a variety of reasons.
First, the acting. Helen Mirren is Queen Elizabeth. It is interesting to see that in still shots from the film she is not the Queen but in action, she is. Period.
Blair is by Martin Sheen who has played Blair before and done so with gusto. He is a very keen striver and, in the end, pragmatic royalist.
Sylvia Syms is not to be missed as the Queen Mother and the rest of the cast shines as well. But none look or act like their counterparts.
Second, the film succeeds because it keeps a very tight rein on the dramatics. With skillful use of actual news footage, Frears creates a sense of what is happening outside the bubble while the Queen and PM joust away over protocol and PR. No one is allowed to emote over the top. Some of the cynical background is interesting and sometimes funny but it never takes over the center of the stage.
Third, I think the film succeeds because of its extremely high production values—photography, set decoration, editing. The cinematic arts which disappear in a good production.
I enjoyed it quite as much the second time as the first and, since it is a repeat, it is a 5 out of Netflix5.
Labels: films
