Elizabeth: The Golden Age

BOTTOM LINE: Good film about Elizabeth's adult life, but focusing too much on the Queen's melodramas.

THE GOOD: The film delivers a fair account of the internal psychology of being a Monarch. The film delves in to the personal life of the Queen and offers a very human side to her; at times, she denies herself the simple pleasures of life to ensure she can carry out her duty as Queen (suggesting at one point that her close matron of the Court, Beth, be allowed to sample these pleasures for her). Cate delivers a brilliant performance as Queen Elizabeth, showing us a very strong, yet vulnerable monarch. Supporting players such as Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen and Abbie Cornish are excellent. Period pieces often have the chance to show off production and costume design and this film succeeds extremely well in these departments. The film doesn't drag, with some solid acting, dramatisation, and cinematography. The music score was good.

THE BAD: This film deserves the 3-hour epic, full widescreen treatment. There were moments in the film where you feel it's about to break out and deliver the cinematic impact you're expecting, particularly with the impending battle with the Spanish armada, but the film chooses to return to Elizabeth and her personal life/problems. Not that spending time on the latter is a bag thing (and in fact is necessary even though it stoops in to melodrama), but the scope of the film seems diminished by focusing too much on her personal melodramas rather than her accomplishments as the Queen of England. As such, the storyline with Phillip of Spain almost comes across as an afterthought; he just pops up enough times to give the appearance of a threat, but not enough to make any kind of impact on the narrative. And being set in 1585, Elizabeth is historically meant to be 52 years old, yet Cate, lovely as she is, appears much younger than that!

RATING: 7/10

Todd Murphy <br />
http://www.allaboutmovies.net

Studio: Universal

MPAA Rating: PG 13

Director: Shekhar Kapur

Review Rating: 8

Reviewed by Alicia Glass

Queen Elizabeth I fends off all pretenders to her throne and the encroaching Spanish armada, with the help of Sir Walter Raleigh.

Cate Blanchett returns to the role of Queen Elizabeth of England, in a time when, once again, her throne is in peril. The Roman Catholic King of Spain Phillip II is intent on returning Protestant England back to it’s native Catholicism by placing his daughter Isabella on the throne. Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland and in exile, also plots to have Elizabeth assassinated. And the Elizabeth herself, embroiled in the many plots against her and fighting her own human nature when she’s sworn her body and soul to the service of her beloved country, finds herself intrigued by the visiting pirate Sir Walter Raleigh.

There are a lot of people yelling about historical accuracy as far as this movie is concerned. I say they did their best, and it’s a movie people, some artistic license has to be taken if the audiences attention is going to be kept. Accuracy aside, Elizabeth The Golden Age really is a golden mark of movie making. The costumes are simply to die for, along with the sets, and that’s not even going into the acting. Cate Blanchett is once again a rousing combination of Queenly strength and womanly vulnerability. The real Queen Elizabeth really did ride out and address the troops waiting to fight the Spanish armada in battle dress, and I think Blanchett all kinds of pulled it off. Clive Owen does a fine job as Sir Walter Raleigh, right down to his rugged manner and charming smile. And let us never forget Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham, Queen’s Assassin and Bodyguard, in his latest drool-worthy performance.

As good as the first Elizabeth movie, if not better!

And crackers don't matter! -- Farscape

Last updated: 2010-02-09 14:59:55 by aliciamovie