Author Archives: Doc

Better Watch Out (2016)

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DailyView: Day 225, Movie 312

Christmas has never been so nasty.

Horror/thriller has been combined with Christmas several times, but Better Watch Out really takes the cake in uncomfortable situations and anxiety-filled moments.

Ashley (Olivia DeJonge) had been a steady babysitter for 12-year old Luke (Levi Miller) for years, but she was not aware how his feelings for her had changed. So when his parents were out for a Christmas party, Luke was hoping to see what could develop. However, when it appeared that his house was under attack from an invader, Ashley was forced into protecting the boy from the holiday dangers.

And yet, things were not quite what they seemed.

Better Watch Out was excellent. It was dark, funny, jaw dropping and full of surprises, twists and unexpected events that you do not see coming. This movie is gruesome at times, dark and sinister. It takes a turn right around the end of the first act that changed what we thought we were watching.

Olivia DeJonge and Levi Miller are great. Levi Miller is so believable in his outlandish character that he anchors the unlikely plot. DeJonge is lovely and shows that “it” factor that so many of the stars have. She is great in Better Watch Out.

Patrick Warburton and Virginia Madsen played Luke’ s parents, but, honestly, they do little in the film. Luke’s best friend, Garret, is played by Ed Oxenbould and he is a different energy.

The film takes a dark look at the classic Home Alone, which played a strange homage during this plot.

This was a surprisingly excellent movie that I enjoyed tremendously. I wanted a little more resolution to the story at the end, but there is also something oddly satisfying about it.

I found this on Amazon Prime and it was great.

Jingle All the Way (1996)

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DailyView: Day 224, Movie 311

Merry Christmas continues at the DailyView with the next Christmas film on the list. It is the infamous 1996 Arnold Schwarzenegger/Sinbad film, Jingle All the Way.

What a figurative cartoon this film was.

Arnold played Howard Langston, a successful businessman who has been taking his wife Liz (Rita Wilson) and son Jamie (young Anakin himself, Jake Lloyd) for granted, missing important events like Jamie’s karate meet.

Howard wanted to make it up to his son so he wanted to get his son the hottest toy on the market, the Turboman action figure, the same toy Howard was supposed to have already gotten weeks before. On Christmas Eve, the chances of finding one of the wanted toys was nearly impossible.

As he is standing in line at the toy store, Howard meets Myron (Sinbad) a postal worker who was also desperate to find a Turboman figure for his own son. This led to a series of increasingly ridiculous situations that placed the pair of them into a Road Runner/Wile E. Coyote-esce conflict.

The film also featured a performance by the late Phil Hartman as Howard’s slimy neighbor Ted, who was looking for his opportunity to make a move on Liz. Hartman was always great, but he could not save this turkey.

This movie has some entertaining moments that are just truly stupid. You have to really stop thinking or hoping for depth in character or sensible plot points, and, if you do, it is possible to not be offended by Jingle All the Way…maybe.

If you look at it as a cartoon, this is dumb fun (well, fun might be a stretch). Arnold is totally playing an Saturday morning cartoon character, with facial expressions to match. Arnold has had better acting performances in his career, but Jingle All the Way has to be near the bottom of the barrell.

Oh, and poor Robert Conrad.

This one is bad. Really bad.

Hawkeye S1 E4

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SPOILERS FOR HAWKEYE EPISODE 4

“Partners, Am I Right?”

Marvel Studios Hawkeye has become an awesome series, improving every week. Episode three was such a great episode, could episode 4 match up?

While there were fewer action scenes this week, the character moments were all the more impactful. There was a sweet moment between Kate, her mom and Jack. We saw Eleanor and Jack dance and Jack had a funny quirk of screwing up phrases such as “Absence makes the heart grow older.” It was enduring and made you wonder perhaps they aren’t as bad as you think…

Okay, maybe not. But there were some cool character moments with them anyway. I also believe very much that the show is setting up Jack to look like one of the people in charge of the Track Suit Mafia when I believe the real power is Eleanor. I love Vera Farmiga and anything that gives her more to do, well, I am all for it.

There was a great set of character beats between Clint and Kate when Kate came over with films and ugly sweaters for some Christmas cheer. Kate knew Clint would be missing his children so she came to cheer him up. This led to the discussion about Ronin and Kate guessing that Clint was actually Ronin. Jeremy Renner and Hailee Steinfeld are such exquisite actors that even the minimalist scene is powerful. Renner’s facial reactions are beautiful, revealing Clint’s guilt over his past as Ronin, the pain of losing Natasha, and the loneliness of not being with his family on Christmas. All the while, slowly building confidence in Kate as a partner, though he is not willing to call her that. The subtlety of the scenes in the apartment shows off such great direction and some superb writing.

And when the action arrives, the action is so kick ass. The action sequences in the last couple of episodes have been exceptional and the rooftop fight with Maya, Clint, Kate and the mysterious masked figure was just brilliantly executed. Of course, we knew who that masked figure was. Anyone who saw the post credit scene of Black Widow earlier this year knew that Yelena Belova, Natasha Romanoff’s “sister”, was on her way and she had some unfinished business with Hawkeye.

Florence Pugh is one of the brightest new stars of the MCU and, with a potential pairing with Hailee Steinfeld’s Kate Bishop, the MCU has two amazingly talented actors to carry the franchise into the future.

Last week’s biggest shock was the appearance of “Uncle” in Maya’s flashback and the speculation that this was Vincent D’Onofrio reprising his role as Wilson Fisk, the Kingpin. We did not get any confirmation of this in episode 4, although there was another mention of “The Big Man” at the top, which was an obvious inference to Kingpin. If this turns out to not be Kingpin, this would make the absence of Mephisto in WandaVision seem like nothing. With Kevin Feige confirming that if Daredevil appears in the MCU, he will be played by Charlie Cox, it is simply a matter of time before Kingpin shows his bald head. With episode 5 scheduled to come out the day before Spider-Man: No Way Home is released (and Charlie Cox rumored to be playing Matt Murdock there) I would not be surprised if Vincent D’Onofrio is coming next week.

This show continues to showcase the exceptional interplay with Clint and Kate. Of course, now Clint is trying to distance himself form Kate as a way of protecting her because he knows that the arrival of the Black Widow Assassin changed the game. It is unclear whether or not Clint knew who Yelena was, but that confrontation is coming soon because there are only two episodes left.

Movie Trailers: A Love Story (2020)

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DailyView: Day 223, Movie 310

One of the YouTube commenters who I have enjoyed over the years has been John Campea, from days at AMC Movie Talk to his current YouTube Channel. He spends his time on his channel talking about movies, TV shows and pop culture. One of the typical things that he would discuss on his channel was movie trailers, and it was always apparent that he loved the medium of trailers.

Campea took that love of trailers and created a documentary that looked at the history of trailers, how they make people feel, and why they have become such a cultural phenomenon.

It is a fascinating topic because trailers have become a huge business, not only on YouTube, but across the Internet. John Campea brought some of his friends and fellow YouTube commenters/reactors to discuss the history of trailers and how these trailers helped create a greater anticipation for the movies they are trying to promote.

Some of Campea’s colleagues and friends involved in the documentary included Robert Meyer Burnett, Grae Drake, Kristian Harloff, Scott Mantz, Cody Miller, Greg Alba, and Chris Gore. These “talking heads” of the documentary is one of the best parts provided. Watching how Scott Mantz’s face lights up talking about the trailer for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is worth inclusion of all of the speakers.

The documentary is split into several chapters, ranging from the trailer history to a discussion on whether trailers give away too much of the movie. Each section is highlighted from some of the best trailers in movies history.

I was disappointed that I did not see my personal favorite trailer, the “Hurt” version of the Logan trailer. Still, with the massive amount of trailers available, I can understand why some were excluded. There were a lot of focus on the Marvel trailers, and the discussion on how the Iron Man trailer at Comic Con 2007 changed the game was intriguing.

I really enjoyed the documentary very much. I could hear John Campea’s voice in the narration of the documentary, despite it not being his literal voice. There were point made that I had heard Campea make on his show before. His personality did come through in the trailer as did his love for the genre.

If you are a movie fan, you enjoy this documentary. It is a light watch, but it shows the passion that comes with movie fans.

The Adventurer (1917)

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DailyView: Day 222, Movie 309

Today, I went back into the catalogue of Charlie Chaplin with the 1917 short, The Adventurer. Where as the last Chaplin film was starting to feel old for me, this one was back to the original feel for me.

In The Adventurer, Chaplin was an escaped convict being chased by a group of prison guards. Escaping from the guards by swimming out into the ocean along the beach, Chaplin found a group of people who were drowning. Saving them, Chaplin made up a story of him hearing their cries for help on his yacht.

This led to a party and the prison guards returning to chase Chaplin around.

This short shows off one of the greatest skills of Charlie Chaplin, his impeccable comedic timing. The slapstick in this short included several moments where the expert timing had to work at an exact moment or it would not work. I do not know how many takes it required to perform these brilliant moments, but it looks fluid.

Everything was so meticulously choreographed and designed that it was really fun to watch. Chaplin is very funny and his expressions only make the scenes better.

Another fun and funny short with EYG Hall of Famer Charlie Chaplin.

In Memoriam 2021

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Last year I split the In Memoriam into two parts because of the large number of people who were gone. I liked how that turned out so now we will have two In Memoriam every year to allow the pictures to not have to be as small as they were prior.

Rest In Peace 2021

I’m sure I have missed some. Respect to all of those who have passed on in the last year.

Added a third In Memoriam …

Hope that is all for 2021.

Unfortunately, that was not enough for 2021. RIP Betty White.

Love Actually (2003)

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DailyView: Day 221, Movie 308

The second of the Christmas movies in the DailyView this December is a film that many people love. It is one of the most well known rom-coms, Love Actually.

However, it turned out to be not one of my own personal favorites.

I was amazed at the list of actors who were in this movie. I knew a few of them originally, like Hugh Grant, was in the film. However, the film included Liam Neeson, Colin Firth, Andrew Lincoln, Bill Nighy, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley, Martin Freeman, Alan Rickman, Laura Linney, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Martine McCutcheon, Gregor Fisher, Rodrigo Santoro, Billy Bob Thornton, Elisha Cuthbert, January Jones, and Rowan Atkinson.

The problem is the director, Richard Curtis, had nine separate stories going on in the script. Even at two hours and fifteen minutes, there was not enough time for all of these characters to have their own individual storylines. Because of that, most of the characters turned out to be one dimensional and some got reduced to the simplest characters or just appeared to appear.

Some of the stories were better than others. I thought the Liam Neeson and his stepson in love story was cute, if not unrealistic. The Hugh Grant as England Prime Minister finding love at work was sweet, but undeveloped. The famous scene with Andrew Lincoln was in probably my least favorite of the stories.

There was just not enough time to develop anything past the surface level and if that is enough for you, you probably love this movie. I want more than what was given and I would have liked to have seen some of these stories eliminated and expanded. They could have saved the other stories for a potential sequel.

I don’t consider Love Actually a complete wash, but it was not to the level that I have heard some raise it to.

The Power of the Dog

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One of the debuting films this week on Netflix is a potential Academy Award nominee featuring Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch is a busy man, with several films on the docket this year and his role as Dr. Strange taking up time in the MCU.

This film is a Western called The Power of the Dog, and it is based on a novel of the same name by Thomas Savage and it is directed by Jane Campion.

The story centers around two brothers Phil (Benedict Cumberbatch) and George (Jesse Plemons), cowboys and ranchers. When George brings home a new wife Rose (Kristen Dunst) and her son Peter (Kodi Smith-McPhee), conflict started to appear. Phil resented Rose and targeted Peter for torment.

Rose herself had begun to drink heavily and felt like an outsider. She did not seem to be very happy with the life that she had married into and was on edge around Phil at all times.

Phil, however, appeared to take Peter under his wing and started to teach him some of the skills that was taught to him by Phil’s late mentor, Bronco Henry.

The ending was unexpected and required some thought. I liked how subtle the ending of the film was as I had to stop and wonder if what I thought just happened, actually did.

There are some great performances in the film. Benedict Cumberbatch played the role of Phil perfectly. He was raw and rough and hard to like. Cumberbatch allowed each jagged edge to see the light of day without worrying about how the character might be perceived. Kirsten Dunst was very strong too, but I could have used more with her and more reason for her to have turned to the bottle as quickly as she did.

Kodi Smith-McPhee stands out of the cast as well, creating a mysterious young man who you are never quite sure what he was thinking. He was in the film heavily at the first and then he disappeared for a good chunk. I may have missed them explaining where he had gone (apparently returning from school), but once he came back, things picked up again.

There were some slow moments in the film. It is definitely a slow burn and I would think that some of the middle section could have been trimmed for time.

This is an atypical Western and is much more of a psychological piece than a Western. The performances were all really good and the film looked great. You need to pay attention because a lot of the plot goes by without you knowing it and the conclusion will sneak up on you. Still, The Power of the Dog is a decent watch and a good time on Netflix.

3.2 stars

The Last Duel

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Another film appeared on Vudu this weekend that I missed out on seeing while it was having its theatrical run, and that film is Ridley Scott’s new epic, The Last Duel. The Last Duel was based on a novel by Eric Jager entitled The Last Duel: A True Story of Trial by Combat in Medieval France.

The film reveals the story behind the last duel that happened in France. Two old friends, Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) and Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) over the accusation that Jacques raped Jean’s wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer). The duel was meant to show God’s Will and the truth of what happened.

The film is split into three chapters, each one showing the perspective of the three main characters, starting with Carrouges, followed by Jacques and ending with Marguerite. Seeing the three different POVs provided some fascinating viewing. How little moments were seen differently by the people involved shows how one’s mind can be affected by the manner in which you approach things. It makes one wonder what exactly truth is to other people.

While the film is placing the two males at the center of the duel, it is the struggles of Marguerite that is the real interest of the picture. The misogynistic society could not be more on display when it was stated that the rape of Marguerite was not a crime against her, but a crime against her husband, and it was he that required reparations. It was also stated clearly that if the duel went against Carrouges, Marguerite would be hanged for the “lies” that she told, despite it being truth.

The finale of the movie was just tremendous, the duel being easily the standout moment of The Last Duel. It was dramatic and exciting and I was not sure what way the film was taking this. The fight between them was cinematically excellent.

Performances were all excellent. Adam Driver was the top performance as it seemed as if he really believed that he had not committed rape, and that, instead, he had succumb to passion that was felt by both of them. The character believed in his statement, even going as far as to confess to adultery only. Matt Damon was a cold man who did not bring much pity upon himself. Ben Affleck played Pierre II d’Alençon, overlord assigned by King Charles VI (Alex Lawther). The cast was strong from top to bottom.

The look of the film was exquisite. It was shot beautifully, with a muffled bit of color. The choreography was great and the design of the historical epic was right on point.

I do think the film was too long, clocking in at over 2 and a half hours. It could have shaved off several minutes and been a more concise tale. The first part of the film did drag on a bit, but the finale certainly picked up.

Overall, The Last Duel was an excellent medieval epic that dealt with serious topics of the way women were treated at the time. The ending was extremely satisfying and helped wrap up the overly long film.

3.75 stars

Gods and Monsters (1998)

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DailyView: Day 220, Movie 307

One of the movies listed on HBO Max’s leaving in December queue was an Oscar winner, Gods and Monsters, a semi-fictionalized story of the last days of the life of director James Whale, who directed classic movies Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein.

James Whale (Ian McKellan) had retired and was facing poor health, including strokes that affected his mind. Openly gay, James would still have younger men in his home for a variety of purposes. James’ housekeeper Hanna (Lynn Redgrave) disapproved but she loyally remained by his side, helping the old man through his life.

James took a liking to the gardener, Clayton Boone (Brendan Fraser), a strapping young man, and he struck up a friendship with him. Clay was uncomfortable with the homosexual lifestyle, but the ambiance of the movie director intrigued him and, despite some outbursts, began to bond with James.

During the time with Clay, James was suffering flashbacks to World War I and the loss of loved ones in his past. The memories would cause serious repercussions to the old man’s present.

In the real world, James White was found dead in his pool, which is dealt with in the movie, but it is one of the parts, along with the relationship with Clay, that has been fictionalized.

The film dealt with uncomfortable feelings and the pain of loss and trauma that existed in the lives of men. It also handled the importance of compassion and seeing someone for who they were.

Ian McKellan was amazing as the troubled artist/director. Being most famous as the director of the first two Frankenstein movies, the film was able to place James into several “monster” metaphors that could look at the real monsters of the world. I have never been impressed with Brendan Fraser as an actor outside of the Mummy-type action films, but he does an outstanding job here as the gardener who felt uncomfortable at first and developed into someone who could see past the surface level of behavior by James into the pain beneath.

Gods and Monsters was tough to watch at times, but the underlying text is important for people to understand.

Belfast

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Belfast became available on Vudu this weekend and I was very excited about seeing it. When it came out in theaters recently, I had not been able to see it, though I had heard a lot of positives about it. Writer and director Kenneth Branagh created a film that was awarded the TIFF People’s Choice Award.

It is well deserved. Belfast was a heart-warming, beautiful film of family and the life that comes while living in Belfast, Ireland in the late sixties. This film is considered to be semiautobiographical, taking much of the life of Branagh as a child living in this world and you can absolutely see the experiences he brings to the screen.

Buddy (Jude Hill) is the young boy whose perspective we see in the movie. He is living through the turmoil facing children during this time period, everything from trying to suss his was around his first crush to the dangers of violence exploding in the streets. All the while showing such love for the people in his life, including his parents and grandparents.

Buddy’s parents are played by Jamie Dornan (of the 50 Shades of Gray movies) and Caitriona Balfe and they are sensational. Balfe stands out as a fierce mother who has been tasked with raising Buddy and his brother (Lewis McAskie) very much alone as Dornan had other responsibilities. Jamie Dornan, who had a terrible rep after the 50 Shades films, is also fantastic. His chemistry with Balfe is definitely apparent, and there is a scene in the third act that will show it to you in spades.

The grandparents are played by Dame Judi Dench and the wonderful Ciarán Hinds. I’m so glad that Judi Dench, who I love as an actor, has finally came back to the type of role that is worth her time (not roles in Cats or Artemis Fowl). Dench and Hinds are masterful together and bring a good humor and realism to the film.

Jude Hill does a brilliant job as the main kid in Belfast. He seems to be a natural and that aura comes across to the audience. We feel everything that he does and understand completely all of the struggles and worries that he has, from trying to be noticed by the pretty girl he is crushing on to his desperate feelings about leaving Belfast behind. He has a special connection with his grandparents and it pops in the movie. He brings such a depth to this little boy that is very impressive, especially considering the resumes of the other actors he is acting with.

The film has a more serious JoJo Rabbit vibe to it. It is not as laugh out loud funny as the Taika Waititi film, but it has the same kind of heart.

Belfast is beautifully shot and the direction is great. The film is shot in black and white, with a few moments of color coming through. The visuals were executed in a excellent manner and helped provide the tone of the film.

The music too was exceptional. The music was done by Van Morrison and the songs seemed unlikely to work in the places they put them, but every one was lovely.

I loved this movie. I am so glad that I was able to see it and that I did not miss it.

5 stars

The “I Am Groot” Voice Acting Award

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There was some great animation this year, especially on the TV and streaming services. That means that there were several fantastic voice acting work.

Now remember, a voice over may not necessarily just be an animated film. This includes live action with motion capture or an animation/live action combination.

“I am Groot” Voice Acting Award

Previous Winners:  Auli’i Cravalho (Moana), Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), Robin Williams (Aladdin- honorary), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Infinity War), Ryan Reynolds (Detective Pikachu), Pedro Pascal (The Mandalorian)

2021 Runners-Up: The first runner-up is Mark Hamill who voiced Skeletor for Kevin Smith’s Masters of the Universe: Revelations. Hamill may have won this had there been a little fewer terrible puns/jokes made in the script. Benedict Cumberbatch was exceptional in What If as the “evil” Doctor Strange. His episode four of that series was one of the best episodes of TV all year. Sylvester Stallone was a riot as King Shark in The Suicide Squad. Awkwafina stood out as the Last Dragon in Raya and the Last Dragon. Jason Sudeikis has been a massive star the last few years and him voicing Bryce in Hit Monkey is a big deal. Caleb Landry Jones brought some emotion to a newly constructed robot with Tom Hanks in Finch. Lake Bell stepped in as Natasha Romanoff in the What If series.

2021 Winner of the “I Am Groot” Voice Acting Award

TIE

Jeffrey Wright (The Watcher)- What If…?

and

Chadwick Boseman (T’Challa as Star-Lord) – What If…?

Could not make a decision. Mainly because it was so awesome to hear the voice of the late Chadwick Boseman in the role that he totally embodied in the last few years of his life. But Jeffrey Wright was one of the driving forces of What If…? and if the Watcher did not work, then the series would have suffered.

Shipwrecked (1990)

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DailyView: Day 219, Movie 306

Tonight’s DailyView comes from Disney +, and it is a movie that is the answer to the question, “What if Treasure Island The Swiss Family Robinson had a baby?” The answer is Shipwrecked.

A Norwegian film based on Oluf Falck-Ytter’s book Haakon Haakonsen: En Norsk Robinson stars Stian Smestad and Gabriel Byrne. Yes, that Gabriel Byrne.

Haakon (Stian Smestad) was a young boy whose father came back from sea with a terribly injured leg. He would not be able to go back out to sea and, because of that, the family would lose their farm. Haakon volunteered to head out on a two year voyage to make enough money to save the farm.

Once on the ship, however, he came across Lt. John Merrick (Gabriel Byrne) who had plans to kill the captain and take over the ship. Merrick was successful in his attempt, but the ship gets wrecked in a storm and Haakon is stranded on a deserted island.

On the island, he discovered a treasure left there by Merrick and he began planning for the day when Merrick would return.

He was accompanied on the trip by family friend Jens (Trond Peter Stamsø Munch) and a stowaway they met named Mary (Louisa Milwood-Haigh).

The film was a family adventure with reasonably likeable actors in a story we have seen 100 times. There are very few surprises in the plot (although the strange appearance of a gorilla in the middle of the film was odd- especially since we never see the gorilla again), and the acting was so so.

Still, it is a quick watch and fun enough as a film for the whole family. There are certainly worse films made for young viewers that are pretending to be family films. Shipwrecked has a few moments and is not a waste of time. Maybe that is not a rave review, but still…

The Expendables Award for Acting Excellence

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The cast of the Expendables has been remarkably successful over the years. So how better to honor them than with some of their own specific awards you’ll only find on EYG.

Okay, perhaps “excellence” is an exaggeration…

The Best Expendable Actor Whose Director’s Cut removed a beloved robot: Sylvester Stallone. Sly released a director’s cut of the classic Rocky IV in 2021 entitled Rocky IV: Rocky vs. Drago, and in the cut, he removed all signs of the robot that had been given to Paulie. Course, he removed a bunch more too. In the end, the dirctor’s cut was considerably different than the original.

Sylvester Stallone Shares Moving Rocky IV Director's Cut Making-Of Video

Best Supporting Actor in a Terrible Sequel: Wesley Snipes (Coming 2 America). Snipes is easily the best part of this heartless sequel. He played General Izzi, the military leader of Nexdoria, Zamunda’s neighboring country.

Coming 2 America' is a Harmless, Toothless Retread

Best Expendables Actor as an Over-the-Top Villain: Antonio Banderas (The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard). Banderas was also one of the best parts of this stinker in 2021, another sequel that was not necessary. However, this one was better than the first, to an extent. Perhaps because of the scene chewing Banderas.

The Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard HD Wallpaper | Background Image | 1920x1280

Best Expendable Actor TV Host: Terry Crews (America’s Got Talent). Terry Crews has been hosting the talent show for several years now and he does a solid job of it. He has good chemistry with the judges and shows some emotions with the contestants.

Terry Crews Wants to be the Best Host of All-Time, Starting With 'AGT' | IndieWire

Expendable Actor with the Most Films of the Year on IMDB: Bruce Willis (7). Although he still has two in post production scheduled for 2021. Willis, who never met a paycheck he did not cash, has had seven movies released and head straight to VOD in 2021 and he has a handful on the way in 2022 too. All winners too… *wink*

OUT OF DEATH Trailer (2021) Bruce Willis, Action Movie - YouTube

Best Expendable Voice Over of a Shark: Sylvester Stallone (The Suicide Squad). Stallone is a standout voice of the wonderful King Shark in The Suicide Squad. The James Gunn super villain movie just did not receive enough praise as it deserved.

King Shark in The Suicide Squad Was Written For Stallone

The Queen (2006)

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DailyView: Day 218, Movie 305

The unexpected death of The Princess of Wales, Diana, was a moment of tragedy felt across the entire globe, and the movie The Queen looks at that time period that could have threatened the very state of the monarchy in Great Britain.

It was well known that Diana and Queen Elizabeth had a tempestuous relationship, especially after Diana left the Royal family and divorced Prince Charles. So when Diana was involved in a fatal car accident in France, there were a gamut of emotions stirred up in England, not only from the people of the country, but also the Royal family.

This biopic focuses on this time of British history as Elizabeth (Helen Mirren) struggled to understand the reaction of her country to, not only, the death of Diana, but the Royal family’s seemingly cold response, or lack thereof, to the tragedy. We also meet and follow new Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen), who sees the Queen in a different light than everybody around him and who helped to advise Elizabeth she needed to reconsider her stance on the death.

The film used real life news footage and archived video featuring the real Princess Diana interspersed with the film’s exceptional performances, in particular from Helen Mirren, who won an Academy Award and a Golden Globe for her role in The Queen.

Helen Mirren was outstanding as Queen Elizabeth II, a woman who had never been a fan of Diana and who had become out of touch with her subjects. The connection between Elizabeth and Tony Blair was impressive, especially since the pair do not share screen time much.

James Cromwell and Sylvia Syms played Charles and Queen Elizabeth I respectably and both are impressive. Other cast members of the film included Helen McCrory, Alex Jennings, Roger Allam, and Tim McMullen. The side characters are wonderful, helping to build the isolation of the Royal Family from their subjects which showed them as uncaring and separated.

Yet Helen Mirren is the reason to watch this movie. She is amazing in the role and gained remarkable praise, even from Queen Elizabeth herself. It is a solid film that is elevated by some powerful performances and some intriguing use of news footage.