Elizabeth I's rule is threatened by war as King Philip of … By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy Summary: Elizabeth: The Golden Age finds Queen Elizabeth facing bloodlust for her throne and familial betrayal. and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and Fandango. "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is a worthy sequel to "Elizabeth". de Shekhar Kapur. She returns for ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE which picks up a few years later as England stands on the brink of war with Spain. ELIZABETH (1998) was one of those small films that turned out to be one of the highlights of the season and brought Cate Blanchett into the public eye in a standout performance. The film sidesteps the age issue by making her look young, sensuous and fragrant, and yearning for a man such as Raleigh. "Elizabeth, the Golden Age" is weighed down by its splendor. 1 / Video . I … Blanchett and the film powerfully embody the range of Elizabeth's mind and the force of her intellect, along with the necessary balance between moral scruple and realpolitik. Because I love seeing historical eras brought to life in front of me, and I particularly love Elizabeth I. Unlike "Elizabeth" (1998) by the same director, Shekhar Kapur, this film rides low in the water, its cargo of opulence too much to carry. Every shot, every costume is decadent with color, and every single twitch of Blanchett's face is imbued with meaning as she negotiates her way through her warring roles of being a woman and being a queen. Elizabeth (1998) charted the troubling circumstances surrounding the ascent to the throne of this English monarch in 1558. Movies; Review; Share. When Elizabeth hears this news, Blanchett rises to full fury in an awesome example of regal jealousy. Some of the film's best scenes involve Mary, played by Samantha Morton as a heroic and devout woman who goes to the executioner's ax with dismay but royal composure. Menos interesante y más rutinaria que la primera Elizabeth (de 1998), esta segunda parte vale la pena más que nada por otra brillante composición de Cate Blanchett. Rahman , who are co-credited on all the compositions. Elizabeth was indeed by all accounts a virgin, but in 1585, when the story is set, she would have been over 50 and her virginity more or less settled. Cate Blanchett delivers the same performance that earned her so much praise the first time around. The epic feel harkens back to Hollywood's Golden Age. She desired Raleigh for herself, of course, although there is no evidence that, in life, she had such feelings for him. That Blanchett could appear in the same Toronto Film Festival playing Elizabeth and Bob Dylan, both splendidly, is a wonder of acting. Despite his shabby attire and rough-hewn manners, he uses brash confidence to rise in Elizabeth's esteem and becomes her trusted adviser and a mastermind of the British military strategy. No matter. That's despite the return of the remarkable Cate Blanchett in the title role. Peter Bradshaw @PeterBradshaw1. 1 / Audio . On the one hand, I completely enjoyed it. But saddled with this dopey script, [Blanchett] is stuck pulling a series of poses and wearing one ornate gown after another. Cate Blanchett won best actress for her performance in Shekhar Kapur's Elizabeth: The Golden Age. for violence, some sexuality and nudity, "Elizabeth, the Golden Age" is weighed down by its splendor. Written by William Nicholson and Michael Hirst, “The Golden Age” has sweep and momentum and almost as many mood shifts and genre notes as the queen has dresses. Elizabeth's treasury is depleted, her resources strained, her attention diverted by the arrival in her court of the dashing Sir Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). Figurinos, direção de arte e fotografia são exuberantes, mas fica até difícil apreciar a performance de Cate Blanchett em meio a um roteiro tão estúpido e à direção "olhem-pra-mim-sou-Cecil-B.-DeMille!" Elizabeth – The Golden Age – Review The movie “Elizabeth – The Golden Age” (2007) is a remake, or better said, a sequel to the movie “Elizabeth” (1998). To handle the scoring, Kapur turned to two composers, Craig Armstrong and A.R. "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" is a worthy sequel to "Elizabeth". Elizabeth: The Golden Age Review. By Kendra on March 19, 2007 in Sixteenth Century. It also articulates the general aesthetic in Elizabeth: The Golden Age, Shekhar Kapur's unawaited sequel to his fierce first go at her, 1998's Elizabeth. He would have been 32 in 1585. A mature Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign including court intrigues, an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and romantic disappointments. There are scenes where the costumes are so sumptuous, the sets so vast, the music so insistent, that we lose sight of the humans behind the dazzle of the production. With Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Jordi Mollà. Elizabeth: The Golden Age moved on to the familiar events of the 1580s, well into Elizabeth's long reign, including the execution of Mary Queen of Scots and the defeat of the Spanish Armada. A sequel, a costume fantasy, a romantic melodrama, a CGI war spectacular, a puzzling celebration of beauty over substance. Tweet. Loosely based on historical occurences, "Elizabeth - The Golden Age" is nonetheless a feast for the eyes. By Total Film 02 November 2007. Queen Elizabeth is fighting off dual plots for her overthrow from KIng Philip of Spain and Mary Queen of Scots. In the court, he is also a swordsman, seducing and impregnating Elizabeth's favorite lady-in-waiting, Elizabeth Throckmorton (Abbie Cornish). And times when the struggle between the Protestant English (the good guys) and the Spanish Catholics (the bad … Cate Blanchett stars as Elizabeth I, who in 1558, at the age of 25, took the throne of a Catholic country, declared it Protestant, fought off assassination by the French, the Spanish, her rivals and the pope, and ruled for 45 years. Teen Volunteer Review: Elizabeth, the Golden Age. I think it undervalues the ability of audiences to get involved in true historical drama, instead of recycled action cliches. odaje sve nedostatke i ograni%u010Denja olovnih vremena u kojima je nastao. Cate Blanchet, Clive Owen and Geoffrey Rush are as excellent as ever in this continuation of Kapur's version of the story of Elizabeth I of England. 1.5 Cate Blanchett delivers the same performance that earned her so much praise the first time around. a muddle that subsumes [its] premise in a mighty attempt to be several things all at once, with an uneven delivery. His weakness is his tendency to fall back on silly, melodramatic contrivance better suited to popcorn fare than to a believable meditation on Elizabethan England. Elizabeth: The Golden Age fails at nearly every level, with an overly melodramatic tale, campy acting that… Review by Daniel Cruse Cate Blanchett’s performance is just as good, if not stronger than the first film but everything else is pretty much the same but slightly less interesting until the third act. The costumes and settings are nearly overwhelming. Sign up here. Detailed plot synopsis reviews of Elizabeth: The Golden Age Elizabeth I's life during the latter part of her British rule as she comes face to face with the Spanish Armada and conspirators who want her assassinated. "ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE" (2007) Review Nine years after the release of 1998's "ELIZABETH", director Shekhar Kapur returned to direct a sequel called, "ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE".Like the 1998 movie, it stars Cate Blanchett as England's "Virgin Queen" and Geoffrey Rush as the sovereign's most trusted spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham. "Elizabeth: the Golden Age" should have been a great follow-up to a great film. ... fearsome and passionate with its visual flair, but incredibly confused as to how it wants to address Elizabeth's life beyond what has already been realized. A pedigreed romance, an excuse for Blanchett to bind herself in satin and channel Kate Hepburn. Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. Why? The texture of the film is enough to recommend it, even apart from the story. She lived until 1603, and some of her greatest glories were ahead of her. Who else would be so tall, regal, assured and convincing that these surroundings would not diminish her? But instead Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a colourful romp that’s not too concerned with historical accuracy. There’s no way Blanchett’s sharp-as-a-razor Elizabeth would have made him the golden boy of her golden age, I’m afraid. It's close to a perfect moment in ELIZABETH: THE GOLDEN AGE, for it shows concisely the Virgin Queen's authority and loneliness, her genius and rage. Sidney Poitier’s 7 Most Memorable Performances, All Harry Potter Movies Ranked Worst to Best by Tomatometer. and the Terms and Policies, However, if you’re looking for a historically accurate, straight-to-the-point movie about Queen Elizabeth I’s life, this isn’t that. Rated PG-13 Tweet. When Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) offers this bit of advice to a nervous royal suitor, he smiles obligingly but admits he just can't manage the pretense, not being as strong, independent-minded, or self-absorbed as she is. Of course there can. Elizabeth's own crisis of conscience over Mary's death is also well played, but the film is far more interested in romantic intrigue and sea battles. Can there be a third Elizabeth film? 5. Elizabeth: The Golden Age review. We learn a great many things in the opening minutes of Elizabeth: The Golden Age, the sequel to 1998's Elizabeth.The year is 1585. With a talented director, an amazing lead performance, and one of the most compelling chapters in history, "Golden Age" should have been something special. September 7, 2007 by EmanuelLevy Overbaked and shallow, “Elizabeth: The Golden Age” is a disappointing sequel of Elizabeth, the 1998 Oscar-nominated film, which was not great either. All rights reserved. Whereas Elizabeth covered the early years of the queen’s reign and her rise to power, Golden Age covers her middle years and the limitations of her position. As an historical reenactment it suffers from a great deal of simplification in order to make complex events quickly and easily understandable, and as a drama it suffers from a great deal of build that never really pays on it's promise. But the film's screenplay, by Michael Hirst and William Nicholson, places her in the center of history that is baldly simplified, shamelessly altered, and pumped up with romance and action. Unlike "Elizabeth" (1998) by the same director, Shekhar Kapur, this film rides low in the water, its cargo of opulence too much to carry. While the performances keep the film afloat, Kapur's over indulgent direction and his inadequate interpretation of history comes dangerously close to running it aground. Don't have an account? Review: Elizabeth: The Golden Age The way Elizabeth: The Golden Age tells it, the Spanish Armada’s defeat by the British Empire was the orgasm The Virgin Queen never had. Both of the films feature Cate Blanchett in the role of Elizabeth I, Queen of England. Directed by Shekhar Kapur. Copyright © Fandango. Forgot your password? Excellent cinematography and photography are just icing on a cake of superb acting. He swings from ropes, brandishes his sword, saves himself by plunging into the sea, and in general proves himself a master swashbuckler, especially since history teaches us that the real Raleigh was ashore the whole time and played no role in the battles. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism. Oct 12, 2007. "The Golden Age" might have been called "Elizabeth II" had that title not already been taken.It's a sequel with Cate Blanchett reprising the royal role that won her instant stardom and an … The elaborate costumes and set decoration provide the only interest. Shakespeare was active in London from the 1580s, although it was with Elizabeth's successor, James I, that his company enjoyed its great royal favor. With the same cavalier attitude to history as this second film, we could be talking about "Elizabeth and Shakespeare in Love.". Please enter your email address and we will email you a new password. You can quibble with me, … "Elizabeth, the Golden Age" is weighed down by its splendor. If I have to be honest, I loved "Elizabeth, the Golden Age." The film deals with the famous 1588 defeat of the Armada with Raleigh at its center, commanding ships to be set afire and aimed to ram the Spanish vessels. Cate Blanchett gave a daring performance in a masterful study of raw power. Elizabeth: the Golden Age (2007) review. Fri 2 Nov 2007 19.46 EDT. It's as if the director has a checklist of the characteristics he wishes her to display and she should just get on with it. There are scenes where the elaborate lace on Elizabeth's costume is so detailed and flawless that we don't think about the character, we wonder how long Blanchett must have had to stand there while holding the pose and not ruffling anything. There are moments when the enormous list of characters can seem hard to keep up with. This is an epic, to be sure, but it is also a melodrama, a soap opera of titanic scale and bluster. Empty This review was written for the festival screening of "Elizabeth: The Golden Age." He has just returned from the New Land with two gifts: the territory of Virginia, which he has named after her in honor of her virginity, and tobacco, which she smokes with great delight. There are scenes where the costumes are so sumptuous, the sets so vast, the music so insistent, that we lose sight of the humans behind the dazzle of the production. That’s not to say that Elizabeth: The Golden Age is a perfect film. We believe she is a queen. We see her kingdom threatened by two Catholics, Mary, Queen of Scots (Samantha Morton) who stood next in line to the throne, and Philip II of Spain (Jordi Molla), who was building a great armada to invade England. 5/10 Image . Here he seems carried away by them. The screenplay is more action-oriented but not as smart, and some of the dialogue is downright cheesy. There are scenes where the costumes are so sumptuous, the sets so vast, the music so insistent, that we lose sight of the humans behind the dazzle of the production. Unfortunately, it is nothing more than a big, shiny, leaden disappointment. 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