The last film Roger Michell directed is a documentary that arrives just in time for Queen Elizabeth IIās platinum jubilee. Using lots of archive footage as building blocks, the film is divided into chapters portraying different aspects of her character and the dramatic events of her life, cheekily contrasting it all with clips from various cultural institutions, including The Crown. There are rewarding moments; for instance, Michell and his team really make us understand how much the royal yacht Britannia meant to the Queen and her family. But the overall impression of the film is that of a monarch shaking peopleās hands; with no interviews or new footage, a sense of futility creeps in.
2022-Britain. 89 min. Color-B/W. Directed byĀ Roger Michell.
