rating:
(out of
4 stars)United Kingdom, France, Germany; 2007
Directed by Shekhar Kapur; produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Jonathan Cavendish; written by William Nicholson, Michael Hirst
Starring Cate Blanchett, Geoffrey Rush, Clive Owen, Jordi Mollà, Samantha Morton, Abbie Cornish, Rhys Ifans, Tom Hollander
This unnecessary sequel to 1998's 'Elizabeth' looks grand and great with its set design, costumes, makeup and hair. It also contains another powerhouse performance of Cate Blanchett as Queen Elizabeth I. Too bad those qualiaties are not used in a better film, one that tells an interesting story instead of the overly dramatic 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' lets us see.
Blanchett, again nominated for an Oscar in this role, carries the film, but only Geoffrey Rush as Sir Walsingham and Samantha Morton as Mary Stuart do her justice. Other parts seem miscast, most of all Clive Owen as Sir Walter Raleigh, a possible love interest for, well, not just Elizabeth. I like the actor but in this role he seemed very out of place, almost uncomfortable.
In two hours the film shows basically the legitimate reason for Philip II (Jordi Mollà) of Spain to attack England - the execution of Mary Stuart - and how his Armada failed to do the job. Of course his real reason is the difference in faith, Catholic and Protestant. Everything leading up to Mary Stuart's death plays like a soap opera, especially when it deals with Raleigh and the women around him. Everything could have been told in an hour or so.
So I didn't like they way the story was told, but I also have to admit I was never bored. Yes, some things were ridiculous, but on its own level it kind of worked. The film could have skipped many passages, but on their own they were fun to look at. Partially this was because of Blanchett, Rush and Morton, one of them in almost every scene, and partially because of the visuals. 'Elizabeth: The Golden Age' shows that only some elements of a film need to be good to make it watchable. Of course, to make it really good, you need a lot more.