"The Queen" - Getting Seated; "The Queen" - Initial Part, Comments, Very Recent Developments; "The Queen" - Meanwhile back at the movie; One Last Comment - MI6

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Sunday, a friend and I had lunch and decided to see a movie. My first thought was "Zodiac," but then I noticed that "The Queen" was still available

The theater was only a hop, skip and jump from where we were having lunch. I'd not realized how late it had become, so we managed to make it to the auditorium, literally the second the movie started.

Then you have to wait for your eyes to adjust to the darkness before you can move. ("Oppps! Excuse me large chubby lady, I thought you were an extra comfy seat.) Of course, the audience have been there long enough to be able to see, so they wonder why the two idiots stumbling around don't sit down.

I absolutely have to be on the last or next to the last row. Cineplexes try to cram more and more screens into a limited space, so that some are wider than their depth. If I'm any closer, I literally develop a migraine within about ten minutes.

In this case, the audience was sparse, less than a dozen at most. (Some years ago, I went to a movie and was the only patron. I actually heard someone run upstairs to start the movie. I'd gone to see someone's nude behind, as I recall. Neither the movie nor the behind were worth remembering.)

There was only one person on the back row, and oddly enough it was someone I used to work with. A very sweet guy who works for public radio, who moved here for one reason, but wound up being screwed by the caprice of the executive director. So we were able to crawl over him. I'm sure his left ankle will be fine once he gets the cast off.

As you may know, "The Queen" centers on an imaginary story line of what happened between the election of Tony Blair as Prime Minister of Britain and the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

Elizabeth and other members of the royal family were vacationing at the 50,000-acre estate of Balmoral Castle in late August of 1997, when Diana was killed in the auto accident in Paris.

Tony Blair had only been elected prime minister in early May.

The movie makes good usage of file footage to indicate the divorce/post-divorce situation and her budding romance with Dodi Al-Fayed. (Or far more serious, in that there were rumors that he had approached a jeweler concerning an engagement ring.)

(From what I remember reading over the years, the divorce was exceedingly acrimonious. Even including death threats being made to Camilla Parker Bowles. Diana was totally unprepared for the stifling requirements of royal protocol. Some of the more onerous was that she had to address Charles as "Sir," and to always walk a few spaces behind him. The worst was that she was expected to ignore Charles' on-going relationship with Camilla.

I also recall that Charles had made a public comment at one point about the restrictions of royal protocol. In this instance, he remarked that if he wanted to see his mother, he had to make an appointment. (This refers to her schedule as queen; obviously, not when the family is together at Balmoral or Sandringham, etc.)

Essentially, Elizabeth no longer consider Diana a member of the royal family, rightly so by virtue of the divorce, and that it was up to Diana's family to handle funeral arrangements. This is a point that is stressed several times.

(An aside - a most curious one. Mohamed Al Fayed, father of Dodi, has demanded a legal inquest for years into the death of Diana and Dodi. Finally, Lady Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, was selected to conduct the inquest. But here's an odd fact: she happens to be a Royal Corner. But Diana's royal status was removed before her death as a result of her divorce. As Elizabeth indicates in the movie. When a Royal Coroner hears a case, the jury may be only hand picked members of the royal household. Or the Coronerr may opt not to have a jury. Which is the decision made by Lady Elizabeth Butler-Sloss in January of this year. But, Al Fayed sought a jury of ordinary people. See this article from the BBC Diana inquest to sit without jury.)

However, last week, three senior judges of the High Court, overruled Lady Elizabeth Butler-Sloss on two points per this BBC report.

["They said their main reason for quashing her decision not to sit with a jury was that the Diana case occurred in circumstances which, if repeated, could be "prejudicial to the safety of sections of the public"."

In such cases the coroner must summon a jury, according to the law.

They referred to reported similarities between the treatment by the paparazzi of Kate Middleton, Prince William's girlfriend, and Diana."]

["They also ruled Lady Butler-Sloss should not sit as coroner to the Royal Household.

She will still hear the case - but as Westminster Assistant Deputy Coroner, Westminster City Council said on Friday."]

["This is the second successful challenge for Mr Al Fayed, who earlier persuaded Lady Butler-Sloss to hold a preliminary hearing in public, rather than private. She was said to have changed her mind because of public interest in the case."]

"The Queen" is superbly done in terms of re-creating the look and feel of a period ten-years ago.

Helen Mirren embodies the externals of Elizabeth in an amazing fashion. But there's a paradox here. In reality, Elizabeth II does not exactly radiate warmth and generosity of spirit. She is downright chilly. This may be her coping mechanism. Which implies that as much as you admire Mirren's performance, it is almost unpleasant to watch.

It's far more fun to watch Michael Sheen as Tony Blair. Although, new to his office, you know he is always aware of what will impact how he is perceived. There's certainly nothing wrong with being an opportunist. And from his first knowledge of Dinah's death, he recognizes the significance of what is to come. I even think he says, "This is going to be big!"

Yet at the same time, he also realizes that as Prime Minister, he is obligated to make the Queen aware of certain facts. Even if she would rather not hear them. And she obviously does not.

James Cromwell is excellent as Philip. And you do wonder how Elizabeth puts up with him. His "gaffes," as they are politely called, are legendary. (See Wikipedia - Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Wade down to the "Controversial remarks" section. "The Duke is well-known in Britain for cracking jokes during public visits that can come across as blunt, insensitive, and racist.")

In fact, at lunch, I'd mentioned that Phil was capable of exhibiting every time of cultural phobia. In the movie, he grumbles about those invited to the funeral service. "A chorus line of soap stars and homosexuals. Elton John wishes to sing at the funeral. Should be a first for Westminster Abbey."

One question I have: Elizabeth comes across as incredibly peevish and snipish. Is she really like that? When given a change to make in her speech for TV, she mumbles, "As if I have any choice." I immediately thought of her speech on the opening of parliament. It's not her speech. She is reading what is prepared by the PM.

As I trying to finish this epistle, I checked the news and noticed the following story MI6 Secret Intelligence files to be revealed at Princess Diana Inquest.

["London-- MI6 has been told by government lawyers that it must reveal its top secret files on the death of Diana if the coroner's inquest requests it.

This follows a High Court ruling that a jury of ordinary citizens will return the verdict on the inquest into the death of the princess and her lover, Dodi, the son of Mohammed al-Fayed. He had challenged the decision by coroner Baroness Butler-Schloss to hear the case alone on the grounds it would be "almost impossible" for a jury to decide.

A senior intelligence source has said that the bulky, buff-coloured MI6 files contain "explosive details" about the activities of two MI6 agents in Paris on the night where Diana, 36, and Dodi, 42, died when their car crashed in the Pont de l'Alma."]

PAX! Erin Go Braugh!