The Queen

After seeing the trailer for The Queen, I had no desire to see it. Both my wife and I thought it looked no better than a made-for-TV movie you might find on PBS long after it had originally aired on BBC. But then, I read the reviews and, much to my surprise, they were in universal agreement: The Queen was not only a good film, but according to them, a great film. (On a side note, here's why I listen to critics as a general rule.) So, my wife and I and our six-week old daughter headed to the movies for a Sunday afternoon matinee. And we were glad we did.

While my wife didn't enjoy the film quite as much as I did, I found The Queen an immensely entertaining, insightful, and wonderfully scripted and performed docudrama. Also, given the fact that this deals with the tragically true story of Princess Diana's unexpected death, the movie is surprisingly (and tastefully) humorous and witty. The audience chuckled throughout.

But the script is not the only star here. Undoubtedly, the true reason this movie succeeds is due to the outstanding performances. Michael Sheen, who plays Tony Blair, brilliantly reenacts how Britain's youngest Prime Minister in history responded to the sad event so shortly after being elected. He commands the screen, and yet at the same time, plays the character with a certain down-to-earth verisimilitude that makes you understand how he won over England's people. And of course, Helen Mirren, as you may have heard already, gives a career-crowning performance as the title character. I've always loved her, but this gave me a new appreciation for her range. Mirren's depiction of HM Queen Elizabeth II will assuredly be seen as the lasting portrayal of who the figure was, a truly dignified and respectable leader even if the public did not always understand her more traditional values. There are still some female performances to look out for in the next couple months, but come Oscar time, I would not at all mind seeing Helen awarded for her pitch-perfect performance.

This isn't the most rewatchable of films. However, given the film's outstanding performances, unexpected humor, and insightful commentary on modern day royalty, I look forward to seeing The Queen again sometime in the future, and recommend you visit the theatres for this delightful surprise or rent it as soon as it makes its way to DVD.

The bottom line: Rarely Rewatchable

Flags of Our Fathers

Flags of Our Fathers is the perfect example of a well done movie that just isn't that rewatchable. Even with movies like Saving Private Ryan and Braveheart, you could bare to watch them more frequently because the payoff appeals to all of us: ordinary men overcoming great odds to do something extraordinary.

Then again, that's the point of Clint Eastwood's latest directorial venture. That these soldiers were ordinary men, and maybe not so much "heroes" as they were just guys trying to live through the madness of war. So, it's not a fair reason to discount the movie, but purely a reason that I won't be antsy to pop this one in the player when it comes out on DVD. It's a historical account of the flag raisers at Iwo Jima and, while there is no real payoff, the message is quiet and profound. As one of the characters puts it in the film, "Maybe there were no heroes, but just men like my dad."

It's not an action-packed film, nor is it one where you leave cheering and stirred to go try great things, but it is a moving, honest, new perspective of the war we have come to admire as a "Good War..." and Flags of Our Fathers may persuade you to think a little differently. While I enjoyed the film immensely and appreciate its new take on an old genre, it's not a movie I'll be eager to rewatch anytime soon.

The bottom line: Rarely Rewatchable