stephen frears' THE QUEEN (2006)

The Queen reinforces the lesson that Capote taught us last year: sometimes compelling historical figures are done better justice in character study than biography. but a brilliant performance never hurts, of course, and Helen Mirren tackles the role of HRH with bravery and grace. the queen is distant and guarded, but wrestles convincingly and poignantly with the idea that her country and culture has grown defiantly beyond her. (the chap playing Tony Blair isn't bad either, and will bear an uncanny resemblance to him five years down the road. for now, though, his youth was a little disconcerting.) and though The Queen isn't one of Frears' best films (and, beyond Mirren's bravura performance, is perhaps undeserving of the degree of praise it's received), the character study approach to a terrifically telling moment in the queen's life allows him to revel in his themes without forcing them, turning the film into a quietly powerful meditation on how our world changes and the state of mind of those who try to ignore (or prevent) such change. but while it is occasionally ruthless, it's also fair, and not unsympathetic.