Elizabeth: The Golden Age
In theaters October 12th 2007
Violence, some sexuality and nudity
RunTime: 115 min
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Review by Matt Mungle
Review copyright 2007 Mungleshow Productions.
Used by Permission.
"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.
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Matt and Cindy are members of the North Texas
Film
Critics Association (NTFCA). For additional
reviews
and interview clips visit the website.
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Mungleshow Productions
Matt Mungle
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