My Review of Elizabeth: The Golden Age

Starring Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, and Geoffrey Rush, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is the well-made sequel to 1998 film, Elizabeth. All I can say is, Elizabeth 2 is just as compelling as its predecessor and it's all due to the incredible performance of Cate Blanchett.

What is Elizabeth: The Golden Age about?

The last time we saw Elizabeth or Queen Elizabeth, she had several attempts on her life, went into business with a man who could fix everything in her favor, Sir Francis Walsingham (Rush), and made many enemies because of her protestant beliefs. Now we see Elizabeth (Blanchett) ruling with an iron fist. She is no longer the soft, delicate flower she once was. She's steadily losing any and all interested in finding herself a man. And Elizabeth is still trying to survive in a world that refuses to appreciate a queen of a different faith.

Queen Elizabeth changes her gowns and hair pieces more times than you can count, but you should not be looking at her costumes as much as Cate Blanchett's eyes and face, the tone of her voice. She was born to play Elizabeth. When Elizabeth finds out about a conspiracy to have her murdered, she shows us so little mercy it's almost terrifying. When she gives the death sentence thought, there is such a vulnerability in Elizabeth that makes her character so much more real. The only time you might consider her performance to falter in believability is when she must ride out and give her army a speech to get them ready for battle. Cate's Elizabeth just hasn't had too much experience on a horse while wearing armor.

This is not to say that Elizabeth: The Golden Age is strictly about Queen Elizabeth. It's her story. It's her life. But the other side of the coin reveals some nasty truths about life and religion in those days. The only person who can protect Elizabeth from her enemies, including herself is Rush's Walsingham. His methods are beyond crude. When we step inside Walsingham's torture chamber, you might start to wonder if this was a set piece from one of the Saw movies. You really have to pay no attention to how Walsingham takes care of business, and believe that he's doing it all for the good of his Queen and country. Next on the list of protectors is a brand new face, a "pirate" as the Spanish call him, Sir Walter Raleigh (Owen). He has the charisma of Han Solo and the freelance attitude of Capt. Jack Sparrow of Pirates of the Caribbean. Elizabeth knows she should not be attracted to this mysterious man of such a nefarious past, but she can't help herself. Raleigh can't help but fall in love with her favorite lady-in-waiting, Elizabeth Throckmorton or Bess (Abbie Cornish). Believe you me, this little romance proves to be dangerous when the Queen finds out.

Then on top of everything, a weaselly monster of a human being, Philip II of Spain (Jordi Molla) is out to invade England and take the crown for himself. This throws us glimpses into a time of madness, when Spain drew down a sword to crush Jews, heretics and stomp out anyone who opposed the Catholic church. Not only is it good for England but it is also essentially for the rest of the free world that Queen Elizabeth's army and navy defeat the Spanish. This was in the time of the Spanish Inquisition and if you know your history, this would not have been good for England or anyone else for that matter.

My thoughts

Queen Elizabeth has epic desires. There are several scenes that are epic indeed. The battle between England's navy and Spain's navy is quite the impressive show. I might go so far as to say, I was more impressed by these old naval effects (barges, giant sails, cannons and cannon balls, etc.) than those in the last Pirates of the Caribbean films. This could easily be chalked up to my own feelings toward the characters and the story. Needless to say, I felt like I was sitting on the edge of my seat. But for the most part, Elizabeth: The Golden Age is really a down-to-earth tale of one of history's greatest women and what she contributed to her own country.

Final note

This movie isn't perfect but the acting, the story, the screenplay, everything good outweighs the bad. While some critics may disagree, Elizabeth: The Golden Age arrives on my top ten list as one of the best movies of 2007. I just wish Cate Blanchett would win an Oscar for the role she was born to play.