>and I really wonder why
>Frears got in (seriously, The Queen was a good movie with some
>terrific actin, but what was so good about the directing ? It
>felt very BBC movie-ish to me).

Frears direction is right in line with the geriatric Academy members' taste, I guess. Don't get me wrong I like that classical style, too. The Royal family stuff is shot classically. It's not cut fast. The camera movement is largely functional and not really noticeable.

I also think maybe they think he deserves a little credit for the performances.

However, Frears deserves much props for having sustained shots of Mirren acting - not just the best bits built from different takes and setups. I wish Mann filmed De Niro and Pacino in a 2-shot long take and let them at it in a continuous space and time.