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"We mortals have many weaknesses; we feel too much, hurt too much or too soon we die, but we do have the chance of love." These words are spoken by Sir Walter Raleigh to Elizabeth I in the new film Elizabeth: The Golden Age. With a great cast of historical characters including Queen Elizabeth I, Mary - Queen of Scots, and Sir Walter Raleigh; The Golden Age combines romance and political intrigue in a visually stunning theater presentation. Set in the late 16th century Europe when the King of Spain was dead set to restore England to Catholicism it makes for a fabulous history refresher as well.

Cate Blanchett (Queen Elizabeth I) and Geoffrey Rush (Sir Francis Walsingham) reprise their roles from the seven-time Academy award-nominate Elizabeth. Clive Owen joins them as Sir Walter Raleigh, the new world adventurer who discovers the heart of the Queen and Samantha Morton gives an
award winning supporting actress performance as Mary - Queen of Scots. Though she has the least amount of screen time her performance is captivating and menacing as Elizabeth's throne hungry Cousin.

This film has moments of greatness that teeter nervously on the brink of catastrophe. Sort of like the drunk uncle who is very flamboyant but any moment could cross the line to uncomfortable embarrassment. Cate's Elizabeth is majestic with regal intensity but every so often she would almost come across campy and over the top. It was subtle and possibly non-existent. But there was that fear that it was heading that way. I blame the director for any flaws as for the most part it was spot on and delivered with the normal Blanchett brilliance. Owen was a nice choice for Raleigh and balanced Elizabeth's royalty with his own earthiness.

If anything wasn't working in this telling it was the amount of characters and side stories. You have to pay attention to keep up with your favorite part. I wanted to see more of the political game with Mary, yet the softer side of the Queen and her relationship with Raleigh was an intriguing emotional look at royal life. The final conflict between Spain and England would be a stunning film all its own but here had to be summarized for time. These choices made a few of the final scenes feel like an afterthought instead of a climactic finale.

All that said the fact remains that this is one of the most visually stunning films I have seen in some time. The art direction and custom department used color and period garb as a living, breathing character and used this element to bring power and depth to the film. There is something about movies of this style that the big screen was made for. They are larger than life and Elizabeth: The Golden Age is no exception.

It is rated PG-13 for violence, some sexuality and nudity. The nudity is non-sexual consisting of 3 seconds of a nude female backside. The same with
the sexuality making it modest in its dialogue and filming. The thematic elements are the main concern and those under 13 may find it feels more like
a Freshman History class than a fun theater experience. Still I must give it 4 out of 5 crowns. I felt it was a nicely done look at England and her
queen.

Matt Mungle (10/12/07)

Matt is a member of the North Texas Film Critics Association (NTFCA) and co-hosts a weekly radio feature, The Mungles on Movies, with his wife Cindy.
For additional reviews, interview clips and great DVD giveaways, visit the website www.mungleshow.com"

Review copyright 2007 Mungleshow Productions. Used by Permission.

Cate Blanchett’s Elizabeth of almost ten years ago showed us a young woman who becomes Queen of England through a series of personal disasters, including having her mother beheaded by her father. Now, Elizabeth is approaching middle age, unmarried, and trying to keep England from falling into the hands of Spain. It centers on religion, as King Henry VIII  literally created the Church of England religion to let him divorce his wives and remarry. The Roman Catholic Church considers Elizabeth a bastard child/queen and the fact that England flourishes, a slap in their face. Thus, we have religious belief against religious belief and everyone ready to go to war. Does this sound familiar? It seems as though every 50 years, the same situation arises around the globe.

Elizabeth: The Golden Age is actually set at the beginning of the Golden Age, as there must be a war to give England its Age. Scriptwriters Hirst and Nicholson shows us palace intrigue in which no one can be trusted, the Queen has few people she can rely on, she still gets marriage proposals from men of all ages and Sir Walter Raleigh is played by an Errol Flynn-type sailor, Clive Owen. It is Owen’s performance that I find lacking, he acts as though someone is prompting him from the sidelines. As you can imagine, costumes (Alexandra Byrne) are magnificent, music is appropriate, photography is wonderfully done (Remi Adefarasin) and Elizabeth gives enough speeches to make all the King Henry’s proud.

The film begins in 1585. Elizabeth faces continuing opposition from Spain and its delegates, court personnel would like her to marry and have a male heir, and she doesn’t know what to do about her cousin, imprisoned in Scotland, Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton.) Elizabeth’s advisor is Wallingford (again played by Geoffrey Rush) who plainly speaks his mind, and is developing what may be the first Secret Service. The man had spies everywhere. Elizabeth’s friend is a blonde, lady-in-waiting also named Elizabeth, but called Bess (Abbie Cornish). When Walter Raleigh comes to court with sly comments, Elizabeth does not take offense, but instead, notice of this handsome man. A decision must be made: remain the virgin queen or take a lover. Elizabeth is married to England and sees herself as a mother-protector of “her people.” In the meantime, Spain is plotting an invasion and working with catholic Mary Stuart. It’s when an attempt is made on Elizabeth’s life that everyone at court realizes war is imminent and England has woefully inadequate defenses. Decisions must be made about the fate of Mary Stuart, how to fight a war with Spain (land or sea?) and what to do if Spain wins? Prayers are fervently being offered on both sides of the conflict for God to help them win, but only one side can prevail. The Spanish Armada is ready.

In Elizabeth: The Golden Age you know when a dramatic moment is coming as the camera goes overhead and shoots down. This was also done in the first “Elizabeth,” and still works OK here. Blanchett inhabits the role of Elizabeth from riding sidesaddle to walking/standing/sitting ramrod straight and keeping her voice pitched at a lower level for effect. Costumes and wigs are an asset and Elizabeth is easily the best-dressed woman in the room. Geoffrey Rush is hidden by a beard, but you know from his eyes when he is at ease or about to pounce on someone as a spy. Abbie Cornish does the young lady-in-waiting well and also lets her face do the acting from innocent to all-knowing. Samantha Morton’s Mary Stuart was ill-advised and one knows that any country can only have one queen. Morton’s dramatic scenes are dramatically overdone. Clive Owen is best in an action flick and gets to show it during battle scenes, otherwise he seems ill-at-ease.

The script plays with historic timing and characters, but it is entertainment and that is what fans will see here. Acting, costumes, war, intrigue and all done in rooms with high ceilings and stone walls. Pageantry it is and I can see Oscar nominations for Cate Blanchett as Elizabeth, plus costumes, set design and maybe even Shekhar Kapur as director. The race has begun. This film may, once again, bring film fans back to their history books for another look at Elizabeth I.

Copyright 2007 Marie Asner