When Lady Diana died unexpectedly in a car crash along with her playboy boyfriend, Dodi Fayed, in August of 1997, Queen Elizabeth II (Helen Mirren) found herself in quite a quandary. On the one hand, the ugly rumors of infidelity which surfaced during Di’s messy divorce from Prince Charles had reflected rather badly on the Royal Family. Thus, the Queen was not inclined to acknowledge her disgraced, former daughter-in-law’s passing.

On the other hand, the Princess of Wales’ hands-on work with AIDS babies and other charities had forever endeared her to millions of admirers appreciative of this unpretentious aristocrat who never put on any airs. So, while the country grieved during the period of bereavement, Elizabeth initially opted not to recognize the tragedy publicly.

Fortunately for the House of Windsor, Prime Minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) intervened, prevailing upon Elizabeth to relent for the sake of her image. The awkward tug of war between pragmatic politics and pretentious privilege is the prevailing theme of The Queen, a compassionate portrait of the tortured monarch.

Helen Mirren earned an Academy Award for her endearing, warts-and-all portrayal of the title character, delivering a command performance without ever hitting a false note in a production which admirably resists the temptation to tease such a readily-lampoonable figure. Co-star Michael Sheen is just as impressive as the impish Blair, serving up an impersonation virtually indistinguishable from the actual PM. The talented principal cast is rounded out by James Cromwell as Prince Philip, Alex Jennings as Prince Charles, Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair, Sylvia Syms as The Queen Mother, and Roger Allam as Robin Janvrin, the Queen’s private secretary.

A sympathetic send-up of a well-meaning matriarch charged with managing her very dysfunctional family while her every move was monitored under the mass media’s microscope.

Excellent (3.5 stars)

PG-13 for brief profanity.

Running time: 103 minutes

Studio: Buena Vista Home Entertainment

DVD Extras: Commentaries by the director, the scriptwriter, and by British historian Robert Lacey, plus a “Behind the Scenes” featurette.