One of the year's top three

Rating: 10/10 (30 November 1998)

"Elizabeth" is one of the years top three films. It surpasses in many ways both "Saving Private Ryan" and "The Truman Show". This is not only one of the best dramas of the year, but also, it is the best thriller, the best romance, and it harbors some of the year's best performances.
Cate Blanchet leads this stellar cast with an Oscar worthy performance. She is elegant, fragile, sophisticated, and transparent--she produces the best performance by a lead actress this year. Geoffrey Rush and Chistopher Ecleston are excellent supporting characters and deserve nods of their own.
Appart from the acting the best thing "Elizabeth" does for the audience is create a horrifying sense of fear, danger, and solitude. With enormous empty rooms, assassination attempts, blood red costuming, and characters ducking in and out of the shadows, the audience is treated to the feeling of the violent uncertainty so appropiate to the time.
Many critics and viewers have disagreed with my consensus, but nevertheless, this is a film worth seeing twice. It is biting at the heels of the exhalted "Saving Private Ryan" and surpasses the likes of "The Truman Show." Indeed this is one of the year's best pictures, and certainly one of the year's best performances. See "Elizabeth," even if you hate costume dramas, this isn't your ordinary period piece. This is an exciting, suspenseful (you can forget "Psycho"), sexy, heart-tearing film. Elizabeth will not disappoint you.
My grade: A