"...not Ma'am as in 'Farm'". I wanted to like it, I really did. All the other Brits I know had raved about how good it was, the reviews were top-notch, it's directed by the wonderful Stephen Frears and stars Helen Mirren, one of my favourite actresses ... but no. Save your money, I say. Don't get me wrong, everyone acts very well and it's very watchable. But you don't really learn anything, there doesn't seem to be any point to it. It would be a GREAT tv movie - because you could keep popping out to make a cup of tea, feed the cat etc. without really missing anything. And ideally, you would want to be watching with other people (and shortbread) so you could make comments, such as "Oooh, doesn't he look just like him?" or "Oooh, I remember that SO clearly". But there's no substance to it. You never find out, for example, why the Queen behaved as she did - you just have a lot of actors pretending to be other people, telling us why they think she's like that. I can theorise and speculate on my own, thank you very much. I thought it was quite clever to cut newsreel from the time (which is only 1997-98 but feels more like 30 years for some reason) with the acting but, in fact, it was just distracting because I realised I would prefer to be watching the documentary stuff - Diana's infamous Panorama interview, for example - rather than the film. They've obviously thrown a lot of money at it and it looks sumptuous, particularly the beautiful shots of the Scottish Highlands, but I can't imagine why anyone who's not British/completely Anglophile would want to see it. Which is a shame. To see the trailer and get a taste, click here, or on the pic to go to the film's official site.
5 comments:
That's a cracking review. Saves me from seeing it. I just don't find the whole subject all that interesting. Is that unpatriotic of me? Ah well. I'd have watched it if Joe Pesci had played Elizabeth.
Joe Pesci as Elizabeth!
Kieran you would have made a FAB casting director!
LOL This is truly inspired - surely a career in Hollywood beckons!! I'm thinking "Goodma'amers" I'm thinking Ray Liotta as Prince Charles... Now THAT would be a film worth seeing.
I was going to see it next week as it is showing across the road from me. Not so sure I'll bother even though I'm a great fan of Helen Mirren
Well, Nomad, I should tell you that the other Brits in my office - who are by no means part of the blue-rinse brigade - loved it. I'm a big fan of Helen too, which is why I was a little disappointed. It's fine, I think they could just have made a more interesting film out of the subject matter.
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