The Queen (2009), sick joke?

[JRoss]

So, you may have seen a mini-series called The Queen. It is about the life of Elizabeth II, specifically the hardest parts of her life.

In episode four, the Queen tells Diana "The press are not your friends. It is best to keep them at a safe distance."

Knowing British sarcasm, I can't help wondering if that was a really sick joke?

 

[cultcross]

Meant to be darkly foreshadowing rather than funny, I think. There was a lot made at the time of the strange love/hate relationship Diana had with the press.

 

[JRoss]

Ah. I knew that it had to be something. Those specific words made me take notice, though.

 

[Gojira]

As a huge follower of Royalty I haven't seen this miniseries!

 

[JRoss]

It's on Netflix. They have some very odd casting choices, including the wonderful Samantha Bond (Maggie Smith Jr.) as the Queen in the Thatcher Era. Overall, it's fun watching, though.

 

[JRS]

I have seen this one couple of times from DVD.
Interesting mini-series, mixture of documentary footage, interviews and acted segments.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365539/

I think the acting is fine, though I do still think that Helen Mirren really nailed the role in the film.

 

[Gojira]

It's on Netflix. They have some very odd casting choices, including the wonderful Samantha Bond (Maggie Smith Jr.) as the Queen in the Thatcher Era. Overall, it's fun watching, though.

Thanks! Just ordered it on Netflix.

 

[Mysterion]

Have not seen this miniseries. I am not sure anyone could top Helen Mirren's portrayal of EII in the movie The Queen, though.

 

[Sci]

I watched a few installments of it. It's a really interesting look at the Queen's life -- part historical fiction, part documentary.

I don't really compare it to the Helen Mirren film, though; they're aiming for two fundamentally different things. The Mirren film is about capturing, basically, a single week in the life of the Queen and using that crisis to examine the Monarchy's role in British society, the relationship between power and democracy, and the nature of British identity in the modern world. This miniseries is more an examination of who Elizabeth II is as a person -- the crises that shaped her life and her identity, over the course of eighty-some-odd years.

 

[23skidoo]

Meant to be darkly foreshadowing rather than funny, I think. There was a lot made at the time of the strange love/hate relationship Diana had with the press.

Also, it's an accurate statement, at least as things stood back in those days. Remember many (most?) people still blame the paparazzi for Diana's death. And you can bet money that the folks investigating the phone hacking scandals are keeping an eye out for a smoking gun regarding Diana's death.

I've been meaning to check this one out since it stars two Merlin alumni in the first episode - Emilia Fox as Queen Elizabeth and Katie McGrath as Princess Margaret. And I see Peter Davison playing Dennis Thatcher in the third episode. (One of the odd things about this production is a different actress plays the Queen in each episode.)

Alex

 

[JRoss]

I understand that they blame the press for her death. I do too. That line just gave me goose bumps.

 

[Sci]

(One of the odd things about this production is a different actress plays the Queen in each episode.)

Well, it'd be kind of hard to have the same actress playing the Queen at age 29 and then at age 48 and then at age 66.

 

[Starkers]

Meant to be darkly foreshadowing rather than funny, I think. There was a lot made at the time of the strange love/hate relationship Diana had with the press.

Also, it's an accurate statement, at least as things stood back in those days. Remember many (most?) people still blame the paparazzi for Diana's death. And you can bet money that the folks investigating the phone hacking scandals are keeping an eye out for a smoking gun regarding Diana's death.

I've been meaning to check this one out since it stars two Merlin alumni in the first episode - Emilia Fox as Queen Elizabeth and Katie McGrath as Princess Margaret. And I see Peter Davison playing Dennis Thatcher in the third episode. (One of the odd things about this production is a different actress plays the Queen in each episode.)

Alex

Those two are just fated to play sisters

 

[barnaclelapse]

I have seen this one couple of times from DVD.
Interesting mini-series, mixture of documentary footage, interviews and acted segments.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1365539/

I think the acting is fine, though I do still think that Helen Mirren really nailed the role in the film.

Agreed. Coming close to that is a pretty tall order for any actress.