BACK COVER SYNOPSIS: The British Prime Minister and The Royal Family find themselves quickly at odds in the wake of a national tragedy in this drama from director Stephen Frears. When news of the death of Princess Diana, undoubtedly the most famous woman in the world, breaks upon a shocked and disbelieving British public, HRH Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) retreats behind the walls of Balmoral Castle with her family, unable to comprehend the public response to the tragedy. For Tony Blair (Micheal Sheen), the popular and newly elected Prime Minister, the people's need for reassurance and support fom their leaders is palpable. As the unprecedented outpouring of emotion grows even stronger, Blair must find a way to reconnect The Queen with the British public.

FILM REVIEW: From the outset this film tells a very gripping, character-driven drama which although is centred around the lives of some of the most famous people in the world, is grounded so much in a reality that you would think you're seeing the real events unfold. "The Queen" is an authentic triumph, bringing together a stellar cast that with one or two exceptions give you the feeling that you're watching the real-life people up on screen. "The Queen" is about a monarchy, but it's also a story about people. The filmmakers have achieved a great success in providing a window for us to see through their lives and recognise that despite their stature, they are still just people; they have great virtues, and they make mistakes, just like all of us.

The British Royal Family, and in particular Princess Diana, are/were some of the most famous people in the world. They have always held a fascination for those of us looking in, but we have never really gained an insight in to the inner workings of this very unique and historical family. "The Queen" offers us an insight in to the world. We go behind the walls of Balmoral to see how Queen Elizabeth II and her family reacted to the tragic death of Princess Diana. It is speculation of course but given the amount of research put in by the filmmakers that is obvious in every filmed frame, this film is a very well educated guess as to how they reacted that following week. Ultimately it was a lesson for the Queen to modernise, and with the newly-elected and popular British PM, Tony Blair, offerring his advice and support, the Queen finally comes around to acknowledging the public's grief for Princess Diana's death, despite it being a little forced (the public speech given by the Queen is recreated in exact detail and almost shows the Queen gritting her teeth as she gives the speech).

This film would not have worked if not for a stellar performance by Helen Mirren as Queen Elizabeth II. You really get the feeling you're watching the real person, a feat not easily performed given the Queen is one of the most recognised people in the world, and is still alive for us to reference from. From there we also get Michael Sheen as Tony Blair who is just about as perfect, nailing all of the nuances of the British PM's speech and mannerisms. All performers are spot on perfect, although Alex Jennings doesn't quite resemble Princes Charles and comes off somewhat soft and comical at times (which may not be further from the truth...). All round however, the actors are truly authentic, giving you the sense you are watching the real people.

Many of the settings are recreated faithfully, and there are some well integrated news reel footage inserted at various times throughout the film to give the feeling of authenticity, including several images of the real Diana and her last car ride in Paris. Perhaps the only one downfall of the film is that although it's production design is great, it does seem like they did things on a smaller-scale budget and as such the film at times feels like a made-for-TV movie rather than a big screen film. It's only a minor complaint however as the strength of the story will by and large keep you enticed enough throughout.

This is a very strong film that will keep you engrossed throughout its running time.

TECHNICAL REVIEW: The video transfer is spot on, even the integrated video and news camera footage which came from non-film stock. The audio is well produced, but it more or less a dialogue heavy affair so won't make your home theatre system work too hard. Overall, this disc is well produced.

EXTRAS REVIEW: This DVD contains a making-of documentary which runs for twenty minutes and basically consists of interviews with the main players and not much footage from the production, mostly focusing on the challenge of portraying real life, living people on the screen. There is also an audio commentary featuring the writer and the director which provides some good scene-specific insights but unfortuntaely they pause a lot leaving many gaps of silence. There is also a photo gallery. Not bad but hardly extensive as an extras package.

BOTTOM LINE: Worth watching.