It is exceptionally difficult to make realistic movies about living or recently deceased people. They usually come off as romanticized visions, as Ray Charles in Ray, or Johnny Cash in Walk the Line. The actual people and historical events are just too close for us not to remember. However, in the case of the royal family of Britain -- and especially in the case of Queen Elizabeth II, who has been monarch since 1954 -- all we know are the formal public appearances; everything else is guarded and private. Seeing Stephen Frears’ The Queen, then, is a striking experience that makes us feel as if we are getting an intimate, privileged look behind the scenes.

Except for a preamble that introduces the main characters, the story is confined to one week in August 1997: the seven days following the death of Princess Diana. In the preamble, set just months before, Tony Blair has become Prime Minister and, in his first audience with the Queen, she has reminded him that her first PM was Winston Churchill. It is clear that while they have yet to establish a working relationship, Diana’s death forces them to understand and work with each other. The Queen and her family want to do nothing to commemorate Diana’s death, and in a sense she is correct. Diana had already divorced Prince Charles and left the royal family behind her, burning her bridges, as it were.

Blair sees things differently. He realizes that, for whatever reason, Diana is thought of as "the People’s princess." The public is puzzled by the actions of Elizabeth II and the royal family -- or, rather, by their inaction. The Queen refuses to fly the flag at half-staff, or to make a royal statement about the tragedy. Blair works to change her point of view, forcing her to realize that her aloof manner could cause the monarchy to crumble.

This might sound like dry material, but The Queen is anything but. It is told in brief segments that, under their stiff propriety, are filled with nuance and humor. This works mostly because of the fine acting and directing. Helen Mirren is Elizabeth II, and her performance is faultless, making us feel that the Queen is actually revealing her inner thoughts. It is just as remarkable a performance as the one Mirren gave on HBO a year ago, as Elizabeth I. (In an unprecedented event, the Screen Actors Guild recently honored her with awards for both performances.) Whether driving the royal 4WD over the moors, parading past all the flowers and gifts left in memory of Diana, or finally making a speech to the nation about Diana’s death, Mirren is right in character, giving us glimpses of the woman behind the public figure.

Michael Sheen brings exuberance and insight to his role as the boyish Tony Blair. His Blair has charm to spare, but behind this we sense resolve. The scenes with Sheen and Mirren crackle with the unspoken, conveyed through body language and facial expression. James Cromwell is appropriately self-effacing as Prince Philip, the husband of a woman known and loved by the public much better than he is. Sylvia Sims is bouncy, brittle, and bucolic as the Queen Mother, and all of the Princes are played exceptionally well.

Diana is shown as herself in many video clips and voice-overs. That was a brilliant stroke, for she is the most identifiable character of all. Had she been played by an actress, I don’t think we would have been able to believe in the events as much as we do.

The sets are meticulous, and the photography makes good use of color. Alexandre Desplat’s music score is appropriate at all times, and the costumes look as real as clothes the royal family might actually wear. The pacing seems perfect and the 97-minute length right. The movie says what it has to say, then exits without unnecessary padding.

Having already won the Golden Globe and SAG awards, Mirren has been nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress for this role. My bet is that she’ll get it, and my feeling is that it is well deserved.

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