Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

Overall rating from 1 to 100: 71

O Masterpiece (100)
O Excellent (75-99)
X Rental (60-74)
O OK (50-59)
O Mediocrity (30-49)
O Avoid (1-29)

Review by Jason Pyles / October 22, 2007

In 1998, Shekhar Kapur directed “Elizabeth,” a film that depicts the so-called “Virgin Queen,” Elizabeth I’s (Cate Blanchett) turbulent inheritance of the throne of England, and her necessarily rapid learning curve.

During the course of the movie, which covers the first five years of her reign, we see an idealistic, young woman who is transformed into a mighty monarch.

Nearly a decade later, Kapur reassembles Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush again for “Elizabeth: The Golden Age”; and despite its continuation of superb performances and spectacular sets and costumes, alas, this new film falls prey to the sequel curse, which simply means “it’s not as good as the first one.”

This is why: In the first film, suspense and intrigue prevail because Elizabeth’s deadly enemies surrounded the unseasoned queen within her perilous palace. But in “The Golden Age,” the experienced monarch’s most fearsome threat, King Philip II of Spain, and his looming naval warfare, all seem afar off and less threatening ... probably because he is far off and therefore, less threatening.

Instead, this film is concerned with paying close attention to Elizabeth’s loneliness, and her fascination with the rugged adventurer-explorer Walter Raleigh (Clive Owen). While the first film held true to its artistic merit, “The Golden Age” gives us the old reliable: a love story and battle scenes.

“The Golden Age” also succumbs to other common conventions that are beneath a movie of its quality. For example, each time King Philip is shown in his castle, or Mary Stuart, the sets are dark and gloomy, and the music ominous and unsettling. Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s castle is bathed in sunbeams, moon dreams, dancing beans and a charismatic Clive Owen (which is funny considering that a movie about King Philip would place Elizabeth I in villainous environs).

As for the rating, PG-13 is a little gracious because the blood, violence, and torture scenes rapidly approach the subjective “R” status, especially when joined with mild sexuality and brief nudity.

In the end, the movie is worth seeing solely on the merits of Cate Blanchett’s performance. She is the foremost actress of her generation, the queen, indeed. None can rival her. Her stormy delivery of the “I have a hurricane in me ... “ line, shown in the trailer, literally floods me with chills each time I experience it.

And if you want to know just how talented Cate Blanchett is, look at her range by watching “The Golden Age,” then “The Aviator” (2004) and “Bandits” (2001). Wow. She does Katharine Hepburn better than Katharine Hepburn did Katharine Hepburn. A rose is a rose is a rose, but Cate can be anything she wants.

Directed by Shekhar Kapur
Cate Blanchett / Geoffrey Rush / Clive Owen
114 min. Drama / History
MPPA: PG-13 (for violence, some sexuality and nudity)

Copyright 2007. 201