“The Queen” examines the attitudes and events within the British Royal family in the immediate aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. The drama unfolds as a clash between the centuries-old, stiff-upper-lip Royals disappoint the people of England, whose emotional response to the death of the Princess is represented by the young, vivacious and popular Tony Blair.
Helen Mirren won the Academy Award for Best Actress as Queen Elizabeth II, and her performance was indeed masterful, particularly her distinctive walk. However, as with Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s 2006 Academy Award-winning portrayal of Truman Capote, I always feel it’s something like cheating to do a really good impression of someone famous. Aren’t we just applauding them for eerily accurate imitations?
At any rate, this was a surprisingly suspenseful movie, considering we all pretty much know what happened. The performances take it beyond merely being “interesting,” and you are made to ponder and experience the lives of some truly unrelatable characters. That unrelatability is, in fact, the crux of the movie and it is a premise through which you can actually stay awake, despite how that might sound.
There is in the intrigue of just getting a behind the scenes look at a life it is safe to assume none of us will ever live, but also a successful portrayal of an eccentric but actual family in the face of a complex situation. The treatment of the opposing view points is unusually evenhanded, and, while the Queen certainly comes off as cold at times, the movie is both an indictment and an explanation of her attitudes. Above all, the movie belongs to Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), whose tact and charisma finesse bring a time-honored relic into a new millennium.
“The Queen” is currently available to rent.
Another venerable institution celebrating a makeover is the Ben May Main Library, which reopened May 31, and the charming Bernheim Hall along with it. The Mobile Public Library has some exciting film events planned in the upcoming months, from classic mysteries to an independent film festival.
With brand new heat and air conditioning but historically accurate paint, lighting and seating refurbishing and conservation, the lovely Bernheim Hall represents a perfect marriage of spiffy modern comforts and carefully restored period details. I have had many memorable film experiences in this charming venue and we can look forward to many more.
Tuesdays in Bernheim Hall at 6:45 are the Date Night, with a Film Series that features a different theme each month. For June, the theme is “It’s a Mystery,” and on June 26th, the film is the 1978 mystery/comedy/crime “Who Is Killing the Great Chefs of Europe?” starring George Segal and Jacqueline Bisset.
The theme for July is “Gotta Dance,” and begins on July 10 with the 1942 gem “For Me and My Gal,” starring Gene Kelly and Judy Garland. No one sings better than her and no one dances better than him, so any films where you get to witness both are unquestionably worth attending. Subsequent Tuesdays run the gamut from “Billy Elliot” on the 17th to “Shall We Dance”the original Japanese one on the 24th.
In August, a foreign film festival will take place at Bernheim Hall and, from September through April of next year, it will be the local venue for the Southern Circuit Film Festival, with a diverse and exciting selection of independent Southern films that will be shown by the filmmakers themselves. From Judy Garland to homegrown new filmmakers, the film events at Bernheim Hall will have something for everyone.
Contact Asia Frey at afrey@lagniappemobile.com.
Archives
The Reel World
