Blanchette makes a good historical film a great one

Rating: Null/10 (2 May 1999)

Seeing the excellent film, Elizabeth, answered one question I had but left me with another. Elizabeth shows that a reasonably accurate historical dramatic film can be interesting and even exciting. This story in a way is a feminine contrast to Braveheart. Instead of blood and guts and nonsensical romantic situations, Elizabeth is always intelligent, subtle and clearly shows without distorting history that as a leader Queen Elizabeth was at least as capable as any man. I very much liked the director Shekhar Kapur's stylish use of having the camera look through gauze and scarves; an excellent metaphor (about people never being seen clearly for what they are) for the deception and conspiracy that surrounded the young Elizabeth. The sets, costumes and supporting cast are also top notch.
My unanswered question is how could Cate Blanchette not have won the Academy Award for this role? This mystery about the Academy goes back a long time. For instance, have you ever seen a movie starring the actress Judy Holiday? I doubt it. Yet Ms. Holiday won the Academy Award in 1950 the same year as these two fantastic performances, Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard) and Bette Davis (All About Eve). Incredible. Now, I have already praised Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love. Paltrow is developing her craft and may be a great actress someday but Blanchette is already there. Her acting in Elizabeth ranks with any female performance of an historical character on film.
Simply, Blanchette makes a good movie a great one.