Seeing The Queen

I went out with WotN last night to see The Queen. As my interest in matters royal is as close to zero as anything can be that isn't actually zero, I wasn't expecting to be that absorbed by it. But it really is a terrific piece of film-making. Part of the fascination of it comes simply from watching two central performances: Helen Mirren as the Queen, and Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. There are other excellent performances than these two - from those playing Charles, the Duke of Edinburgh, Alistair Campbell - but you just can't take your eyes off the Queen and the PM, so accurate are the portrayals. Apart from that it's a gripping story, the aftermath of the death of Diana; and the main protagonists are all presented in a credible and sometimes moving way. See also James Christopher's discussion, and this post at Third Avenue (back after a break from blogging of several months).