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Elizabeth. A Portrait in Parts. (12A.)
Directed by Roger Michell. In cinemas and streaming on Amazon Prime from June 1st.
A portrait of the Queen made to coincide with the platinum jubilee would seem to be a rather dull enterprise and an unfortunate choice to end up as the late Roger (Notting Hill, The Duke) Michell’s final film. Michell though saw something in the project to inspire him because he's gone out on a cheery, subversive, poignant, insightful high. It opens with a montage of images set to Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You, which immediately sets the tone as being a little bit cheeky. Early on we see an unidentified man from the black and white ages being interviewed by Robin Day suggesting the Queen should be a little bit more spontaneous in her public proclamations and then getting slapped around the face on his way out of the studio for his impertinence by an irate viewer. Were he still around Michell might have received similar flack for this.
The film is made up entirely of archive footage of the monarch both real and fictionalised, covering ninety-plus years. The sourcing, compiling and editing of all this footage must have been an epic undertaking. No interviews, no voiceover, no narrative just loosely grouped together sections and absolutely no deference. It's an exercise in showing not telling and I think it does an excellent job of revealing the solemnity and pomposity of the institution of the monarchy as well as giving us an insight into the woman beneath the crown and why she might be regarded as being quite good at the job.
Some of the most effective scenes involve repetition such as her saying, "My husband and I," at various times and locations. There is a montage of children giving her flowers that is eerie, even a little disturbing in the way it suggests notions of sacrificial offerings. There’s some magnificent footage here, especially the bits of her getting carried away with the gees gees at the racecourse. It’s like the Ascot scene in My Fair Lady where Audrey Hepburn’s Eliza yells out to her horse to “Move yer bloomin’ arse.”
The film attempts an apolitical balancing act that mirrors that of its subject. Both sides can take from it confirmation of their views. The film's approach is weakest when it tries to take on big issues. The Horriblis section on the various scandals from Diana to Andrew just seems superficial and vindictive. There are the odd clumsy moments: cutting from a crowd swarming in front of Buckingham Palace on Coronation Day to bees in a hive is too cruel. But overall this is an illuminating even touching study. It’ll be difficult to avoid films about herself over the next few weeks so if you have to watch one film about royalty, this might be the one for you.
Directed by Roger Michell. In cinemas and streaming on Amazon Prime from June 1st.
A portrait of the Queen made to coincide with the platinum jubilee would seem to be a rather dull enterprise and an unfortunate choice to end up as the late Roger (Notting Hill, The Duke) Michell’s final film. Michell though saw something in the project to inspire him because he's gone out on a cheery, subversive, poignant, insightful high. It opens with a montage of images set to Robbie Williams’ Let Me Entertain You, which immediately sets the tone as being a little bit cheeky. Early on we see an unidentified man from the black and white ages being interviewed by Robin Day suggesting the Queen should be a little bit more spontaneous in her public proclamations and then getting slapped around the face on his way out of the studio for his impertinence by an irate viewer. Were he still around Michell might have received similar flack for this.
The film is made up entirely of archive footage of the monarch both real and fictionalised, covering ninety-plus years. The sourcing, compiling and editing of all this footage must have been an epic undertaking. No interviews, no voiceover, no narrative just loosely grouped together sections and absolutely no deference. It's an exercise in showing not telling and I think it does an excellent job of revealing the solemnity and pomposity of the institution of the monarchy as well as giving us an insight into the woman beneath the crown and why she might be regarded as being quite good at the job.
Some of the most effective scenes involve repetition such as her saying, "My husband and I," at various times and locations. There is a montage of children giving her flowers that is eerie, even a little disturbing in the way it suggests notions of sacrificial offerings. There’s some magnificent footage here, especially the bits of her getting carried away with the gees gees at the racecourse. It’s like the Ascot scene in My Fair Lady where Audrey Hepburn’s Eliza yells out to her horse to “Move yer bloomin’ arse.”
The film attempts an apolitical balancing act that mirrors that of its subject. Both sides can take from it confirmation of their views. The film's approach is weakest when it tries to take on big issues. The Horriblis section on the various scandals from Diana to Andrew just seems superficial and vindictive. There are the odd clumsy moments: cutting from a crowd swarming in front of Buckingham Palace on Coronation Day to bees in a hive is too cruel. But overall this is an illuminating even touching study. It’ll be difficult to avoid films about herself over the next few weeks so if you have to watch one film about royalty, this might be the one for you.