| Posted by: rupert pupkin at November 14, 2007, 9:34 am | | Topic: Elizabeth: The Golden Age Forum: JoBlo | | Shekhar Kapur, director of the 1998 masterpiece 'Elizabeth', reunites with Cate Blanchett for this valiant but unsuccessful attempt to make The Grandest And Most Dramatic Film Ever. While 'Elizabeth' explored the early reign of England's most famous and brilliant monarch, 'The Golden Age' takes sweeping liberties with the history books in depicting the more juicy and eventful latter part. The red-haired one, while trying to keep her cool in the midst of the dashing presence of Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen), faces treachery from all quarters. King Philip of Spain, using Elizabeth's cousin Mary Stuart (Samantha Morton in a ridiculous but undeniably memorable performance) as bait, attempts to draw England into an ill-advised war, while Papist assassins lurk around every corner. Now we all know Mary's eventual fate (or if you don't then you were clearly dogging school you naughty kids), and it is this middle portion of the film which emerges as most effective. Using colour in a breathtaking fashion not witnessed since Kubrick's imperfect sexual drama 'Eyes Wide Shut', Kapur uses setting, score and a silly but stirring 'Braveheart'-style speech by the Virgin Queen to whet the viewer's appetite for the inevitable final clash with the Spanish Armada. Only to blow it. Badly. The battle sequence is silly and the sight of Raleigh leaping from ship to ship raised more than a few incredulous titters from the previously enthralled audience. A shame, given the care Blanchett had taken to subtly portray an incomporably intelligent and strong monarch, generous and benelovent yet capable of bouts of impetuous histrionics with regard to her beloved Raleigh. Close but no potato - 7/10. |
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