Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Cate Blanchett @ Elizabeth - The Golden Age






I went to see "Elizabeth -The Golden Age" last night, with the fabulous Cate Blanchett in the title role. The movie, directed by Shekhar Kapur, finds Queen Elizabeth I (Cate Blanchett) facing blood lust for her throne and familial betrayal. Growing keenly aware of the changing religious and political tides of late 16Th century Europe, Elizabeth finds her rule openly challenged by the Spanish King Philip II (Jordi Molla)-with his powerful army and sea-dominating armada-determined to restore England to Catholicism. Preparing to go to war to defend her empire, Elizabeth struggles to balance ancient royal duties with an unexpected vulnerability in her love for Raleigh (Clive Owen).
The costume design by Alexandra Byrne leaves us breathless with all the exquisite detail and sophistication of the clothing. Cate Blanchett couldn't have been more fascinating in the role and she commands every scene she is in, either as the powerful queen or as the fragile woman seeking true love. The movie is a tad on the long side, almost 2 hours, and seems quite rushed towards the end as it nears it's "historical thriller" finale. Clive Owen oozes sensuality but I can't help the feeling that he was just added eye-candy for this movie. I also loved Samantha Morton as Mary Stuart and wish that I could have seen more of her, as she was superb as the back stabbing next-in-line for the crown of England.




Via Rotten Tomatoes Images via IGN

1 comment:

Andrea Martínez Maugard said...

The wardrobe seems amazing but I don't like the historical movies haha