My apologies to Kevin for the title of this post; he’s seen the joke before.
He and I got together tonight for a movie and dinner. He chose “The Queen”, which has been nominated for an Academy Award, as well as Hellen Mirren for her performance as, well, the Queen of England.
All I knew was that it had racked up some awards, and was about the Royal Family’s reaction to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales.
I have to admit, going in, that I wasn’t sure about this movie. I thought it would be dry, and talk-y, and boring. But less than a half-hour into the film, I realized that i was absolutely riveted by the tension, and drama, on the screen. No explosions, no gun fights, no car chases (OK, well, one, but it was handled very tastefully and with dignity).
Absolutely stunning performances by Michael Sheen and, of course, Hellen Mirren. In fact, my preconceived notions of who these people are may have made the story that much better. Who would have thunk that Bush’s Poodle could be made a sympathetic character full of depth and compassion? Who would have thought that the Queen of England could show such courage and expression?
Amazing. I’ve seen three of the five Oscar-nominated films this year: The Queen, The Departed, and Little Miss Sunshine, and as much as I loved the other two, “The Queen” might be my favorite.