Frozen Concentrated Acting Talent

Rating: 10/10 (5 February 2001)

A plethora of breathtakingly well judged performances raise Elizabeth from the ranks of the good to the great. Even the comedy actress Cathy Burke as the mad Queen Mary is not as out of place as she first appears; this is a part that is supposed to be unexpected, jarring and uncomfortable.
What can be said about Cate Blanchett's acting ability? She is quite simply a revelation. Contrast the conviction and range of Cate with her contemporary Gwyneth Paltrow, who steadfastly plays one part regardless of the film, scene or script.
But one great actress does not make for a great film. Fortunately, the support in Elizabeth is also top notch. Every performance is believable and engaging. Geoffrey Rush is particularly engrossing, but the revelation of the piece has to be Eric Cantona. Eric is best known in the UK and Europe as a mercurial French soccer player given to bouts of obscure poetic commentary; however In Elizabeth, he gives an impressive and truly dignified performance as the embarrased French Ambassador. It was a courageous decision to cast him, but Elizabeth is a film that was clearly made with the courage of its convictions.