Some Good Acting, Weak Script and Lovely Visuals

Rating: 6/10 (25 November 1998)

The main reason I wanted to see this film was for Cate Blanchett, who blew me away with her performance in "Oscar & Lucinda." She acted well in this movie, depicting a vulnerable Queen who doesn't (at first) fully realize the dangers of her position, but Christopher Eccleston and Geoffrey Rush impressed me the most.
Eccleston is extremely versatile; he is like a creature unrelated to his "Jude" from a few years ago. Geoffrey Rush was strong and enigmatic as Walsingham, Elizabeth's "protector." I half wish the movie had been more about HIM. I am not familiar with the actual history; did either of these men exist? I would have liked to have seen more about them; I liked the glimpses we were given into their dealings with others. Fascinating characters.
In any case, these were the major stand out performances. John Gielgud (as the Pope) was not memorable because he was on screen for no more than a few minutes and his lines were hardly quotable. Eric Cantona as the French Ambassador had an amazing sort of presence; I remember him quite clearly ... and I had no idea he was a soccer player til I read it here on IMDb. Also, the woman who played Elizabeth's first handmaiden (or whatever they are called) was very expressive and is worth mentioning.
Joseph Fiennes' character was irritating beyond belief. I consider myself to be a person of reasonable intelligence, but I could not figure out whose side he was on or why by the time the end credits appeared. The writers (or editors) really screwed up with this character; a lot of his behavior was not clarified. I believed him when he told Elizabeth that he loved her, but then ... why was he having sex with one of her maids? What did he have to do with the poison dress? Why did he seem shocked to see her writhing in agony if he knew nothing of the poisoned dress? Why would he want to see Elizabeth assassinated if he loved her? He made no sense to me. Not to mention I could not understand why she adored him so much; he struck me as being a fop. Leonardo DiCaprio would have been just as suitable for this role (probably more so, since he's played the type before) ... this character was listless, lolling, lazy, and a priss. It lowered Elizabeth to even be attracted to this man. I found myself wondering, "Where is that fiercely handsome Duke of Norfolk?" every time "Lord Roberts" showed up on screen with his puppydog eyes.
On the positive side, the film is quite lush and colorful. Visually, it's stunning and deserves some sort of award for that. But, as others have mentioned, the use of music was atrocious. The music didn't always match the mood of the scene, and sometimes it would actually detract from the scene.
I think this movie is supposed to be about how a woman sacrifices her own happiness and personal convictions for the good of her people and the stability of her position. Nice attempt, but it doesn't quite pan out. In the end, Elizabeth comes off as a freak of nature - how exactly does caking your face with white powder make you like the Virgin Mary? That was never explained.
In any case, the music in the final scene was so obnoxious that I couldn't even reflect on the poor Queen's hideous transformation. I just wanted to cut out of the auditorium as quickly as possible.
I think I'll be checking out that "Elizabeth R" series that everyone keeps talking about.