Elizabeth: The Golden Age User Review

Elizabeth: The Golden Age reviews

Rating

4/5

Author

glarussun

[ Profile | Reviews ]

Best thing

Cate Blanchett

Worst Thing

historical accuracy

Review

Elizabeth - The Golden Age.

I just been to the movies. Saw, ELIZABETH - The Golden Age. It's good entertainment. Cate Blanchett is brilliant. It was a huge role to carry off. As the movie was, really, originated completley around, Elizabeth the Virgin Queen of England. She was protestant. Her cousin,Mary Queen of Scots, imprisoned in Scotland was Catholic. Spain at that time was the major world power, and strictly Catholic. Think, `Inquistion`

The movie ends with the arrival of the spanish armada, and the way that is done is good, not brilliant but passable. But it is Elizabeth that is the main attraction. Clive Owen plays Sir Walter Raleigh. I do think the writer(s) have taken huge liberties with the plot. It was sad, in a way, that Sir Francis Drake was only mentioned right at the end. It almost gives the credit to Raleigh for defeating the Armada. It has some very `hollywoodish` moments.One of them, where Raleigh (played a little woodenly I thought) is hanging on to the side of a ship in the battle with the Armada, and at that moment, looks very much like (maybe) Errol Flynn. But the acting of Cate shines through. Even though she has to take a leaf out of the Braveheart book, and give a rousing speech to the hordes of English commoners, while mounted on a dashing white horse, wearing some ritzy designer armour. But I liked this movie. It grabs you and keeps you involved with what is taking place. So apart from some `glamed` up scenes, and the ladies in waiting that look more like extras from a musical, it essentially brings across just how solitary and heart-rending, it could have been, to have reigned as Queen of England at that time. There are moments when Cate does portray how the Queen could have really felt. So different to the rigid image she must present at all times, to her Court. And for me, this is what the movie was about. The music, added to the whole movie, especially at the end, where it soars to an almost heavenly sounding choral affect - emotionally dazzling. But the one moment that stood out for me, came from Samantha Morton who played Mary Queen of Scots. Her reaction to being told that she is accused of Treason, was quite remarkable and created so many emotions, ranging from disbelief to utter despair, in the space of a few seconds.

Date reviewed