Elizabeth:The Golden Age (PG-13)
Mike:
Mike: Tonight I am revieweing Elizabeth:The Golden Age
, a film about the middle part of the life of Queen Elizabeth I.
Scott was unable to attend.
So what did I think?
I enjoyed this movie, but I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped to be. I love historical dramas and I will see pretty much any movie that has Cate Blanchett. I admit I was confused a number of times during the film. I don't know if it is because I was rusty on the history or if the story itself was unclear. For instance, almost none of the characters were introduced or called by name. Much of the time I had no idea who anybody was except for the most famous characters like Elizabeth and Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). A couple of the guys involved in a conspiracy looked so similar; I couldn't tell who was who.
I think the film is visually fantastic. The cinematography is excellent. The sets and costumes seem authentic. After seeing the makeup, wigs and dresses worn by the queen, I now realize that Queen Amidala of the Star Wars series is a direct steal of this very real royal highness. The film is very colorful.
One scene that is almost burned into my mind is Elizabeth standing on a cliff watching the Spanish warships burn. It looks like a marvelous painting.
When the action heats up, there are some nice special effects during the battle between the British fleet and the Spanish Armada. At first, I found scenes shot through grates or bars to be creative. After about the 20th time it became distracting and tiresome. There is also a lot of filming of people in 360 degrees for no apparent reason.
As I usually do after a historical film, I did a little research on the internet. It looks like the film got many facts straight, but played loose with others. The focus of much of the film is a relationship between Elizabeth and Raleigh. The overtones of romance are another Hollywood creation.
One scene that will interest local history buffs is Raleigh's presentation of American Indians Manteo and Wanchese. Raleigh also introduces the Queen to potatoes and tobacco he has brought from the region of the new world called Virginia. The funny thing is what is now known as Lost Colony at Manteo, North Carolina was originally considered part of Virginia.
The acting is good as you would expect from a film starring Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen , Geoffrey Rush and Samantha Morton. Blanchett is the heart of this film and she brings the Queen to life as Helen Mirren did with another Queen named Elizabeth. Blanchett plays her as both a woman who is a strong, determined leader and a woman who would like to be loved for who she really is. Owen is very charming as Sir Walter Raleigh. Rush is engaging as Sir Francis Walsingham, an advisor and spymaster for the queen. Morton acts in a memorable turn as imprisoned Mary Queen of Scotts. Lovely, blonde Abbie Cornish does a nice job as Elizabeth Throckmorton, a character that is important to both Elizabeth and Raleigh.
The score by composers Craig Armstrong and A. R. Rahman was appropriately bold and dramatic. It has the sound of a soundtrack from an epic movie of the 30s or 40s.
Director Shekhar Kapur presents a beautiful but flawed sequel to 1998s Elizabeth. Always visually arresting, but sometimes mired in slow pacing and confusing storytelling.
How do I rate this?
I give this a 3 overall and a 3 for historical drama.
