Portrait of the Queen movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Portrait of the Queen

This lovely documentary about the many photographs taken of Queen Elizabeth will be available on Video on Demand on September 4, 2023.

RATING: Documentary (G)

LENGTH: 1 hour 35 minutes

MOVIE REVIEW MOM GRADE: A

IN A NUTSHELL:

This fascinating documentary about Queen Elizabeth is based on the book “Elisabetta II: Ritratto Di Regina” by Paola Calvetti, originally published by Mondadori.

The film was directed by Fabrizio Ferri. At the end of the movie, we see these words on the screen: “This film is dedicated to the memory of her late majesty Queen Elizabeth II.” She lived from April 21, 1926 to September 8, 2022.

If you’re intrigued by the British royal family and, especially, the Queen herself, you’ll really enjoy this film which is a beautiful tribute to an incredible woman who took her duty to country seriously as her gift to the people who loved her.

THINGS I LIKED:

The documentary shows us so many wonderful images of the Queen over the span of her long life. She is one of the most recognized women in the world and the most photographed woman in history. Her portraits have been taken ever since she was born in 1926, which is half of the time of the history of photography.
We also get to see a room filled with many documents about her in the archives.
One of the photographers shared a story about when he got to film the Queen. When he asked her to smile, she didn’t move a muscle. After asking three more times with the same blank stare from the Queen, the Queen’s Public Relations person whispered in the photographer’s ear, “The Queen doesn’t smile on cue; she smiles when she wants to.”
It was really fun to hear about the experiences from all of the photographers who had the privilege of being chosen to photograph her.
The narrator, Charles Dance, stated in the end, “She has embraced the winds of change. She has inspired respect, admiration, affection and, for many, an enduring love. God bless you, Maam.” Here, here!
Keep watching during the final, rolling credits for some more lovely images.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

There’s an artsy-fartsy element that I thought was a bit odd. Charles Dance narrates the film but we only see his floating head in a black backdrop. A select few photographers are interviewed with the same effect.