Film Talk: Looking Back – Majestic performances in The Queen

Directed by by Stephen Frears and written by Peter Morgan, 2006's The Queen told the story of Her Majesty Elizabeth II at a time when she was dealing with one of the greatest crises of her reign.

In 1997, the untimely death of Diana, Princess of Wales, shook the world. It left the royal house in grief, yet also tumult, with division inside the family as well as between Buckingham Palace and Westminster over how to handle the situation.

With Dame Helen Mirren in the title role, the film's wider cast was carefully crafted, with Michael Sheen reprising his role of Tony Blair from 2003's The Deal, James Cromwell as the Duke of Edinburgh, Alex Jennings as the Prince of Wales and the late and spectacular Helen McCrory as Cherie Blair.

The production and release of the flick was interestingly timely, coinciding with a point of revived public sentiment for the monarchy, yet quite a downturn in the popularity of Blair – still the sitting Prime Minister.

With interest in the film driven by both its star power and subject matter, expectations at the box office were high. But would The Queen deliver a royal return, or would the treasury be left a little bare?..

In May 1997, history is made when Tony Blair's 'new' Labour Party defeat the Tories in the British General Election, and reclaim government of the United Kingdom after 18 years of Conservative power.

Less than four months later however, the country is plunged into grief and the Government thrown into crisis by the sudden death of Princess Diana.

As Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, regard Diana's death as a private matter, they refuse to publicly acknowledge the nation's mourning and pay public tribute to the 'People's Princess'. With this, the popularity of the Royal Family quickly begins to plummet.

As Mr Blair attempts to repair the widening gulf between the royals and the public, he is caught in a situation that if not curtailed, could tear the country asunder and spell the end of the monarchy for good...

Earning $56.4 million in the US and Canada alone against a budget of $15 million, The Queen exceeded box office expectations and received critical acclaim.

As was expected, Mirren's performance was widely praised, but was in fact also personally applauded by Queen Elizabeth herself, who, in its wake, invited Mirren to dinner at Buckingham Palace.

Her turn as the iconic monarch earned Mirren the Oscar for Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role, along with the BAFTA for the same.

With a correspondingly stand-out turn from Sheen, The Queen was a triumph of a flick and one that recounted a difficult period in the presiding monarch's history with confidence and also respect.

Probably Mirren's finest film to date, this one stands as nothing less than the actress's crowning glory, and is a majestic flick that can be enjoyed again and again.